Friday Fight 115: Underemphasized + Desensitized = Despiritualized
Every Friday, when I wake and pray, God places something on my heart to help me fight darkness beginning in our minds. Today is FF115.
How many of us currently do things for God that we never could've imagined doing? Incredible how the Holy Spirit patiently waits for us to learn and grow through His gentle guidance. Amazing, but not the focus of this post (smiling). We are usually less excited about applying the word sin to areas of our life, but here goes. So, let's rephrase the question, how many of us are doing things we once viewed as sinful but slowly have become easier?
Underemphasized + Desensitized = Despiritualized
If this seems like math, you're close! Math can be so confusing that some of us cannot understand the problem enough to solve it. Sin is presented on a silver platter and packaged to get our attention, not realizing where it could lead. Let's look at an example I recently discussed with my doctor. Being a visual person, he used an analogy of sand and erosion concerning how sin impacts us as a society was helpful. But decay like this can happen quickly or slowly, being recognized or leaving us unaware. Imagine erosion from a spiritual perspective. (A shout-out to Dr. Mike, thank you for your valuable input.)
James 1:15 says, "Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." Let's look at how this may begin. This process starts with us slowly trivializing sin in our minds. If we are not attentive to it, we allow ourselves to be exposed, then underemphasize the severity of its impact on our souls. Before long, our sins led us to destruction we never saw coming. Next, add desensitization, a technique used in some therapies. Suppose we struggle with a particular fear. The intent is to continually expose that person to the same fear to decrease the person's reaction. Over time, gradual exposure causes any related fear or anxiety to dissipate slowly. This recognized technique can be applied to the direction and growth of our spiritual lives. We become desensitized to sin in the same way. Trivializing our sins becomes foundational to the slow process of us becoming desensitized and allowing the erosion of our souls.
Take porn, for example. It's addictive because the images continually resurface, contaminate the flesh, and cause problems. It is one thing to struggle with fighting desires, calling an accountability partner, and lifting our shame in prayer. But quite another to conceive those desires giving birth to sin. Suddenly the person hiding to satisfy the flesh feels no shame. Social media and pop culture has trivialized it to a place of normalcy, and suddenly, it deems it acceptable.
Imagine sin as a line drawn in the sand. We get close to the edge, even lifting a foot over it while telling ourselves, "It was only foot." Eventually, instead of going back and forth with struggles, repentance, and our thoughts, we willingly step into areas we never considered approaching. Watching porn in its sinful nature is underemphasized, leading us to be desensitized to its impact. Finally, we are despiritualized as sin slowly removes the characteristics of Christ from our souls. The clattering noise of sin becomes so loud we no longer hear the Holy Spirit.
Let's take some time to look back at things we would never say or do that now have become normalized in our minds. It could be anything. Perhaps an occasional lottery ticket has progressed to gambling apps at our fingertips and connected to our virtual wallets. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate areas of sin we are knowingly or unknowingly normalizing. Let's stand together, defending our spiritual lives by walking in community and lifting one another in prayer. Remember that God is walking with us and waiting for us to choose Him and His path for our lives.
Pastor Shannon
New Life Calvert
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