The Impact of Sin

I have been spending the past few days trying to comfort my best friend. She recently discovered that her husband has been having conversations with other women online --in chat rooms -- involving pornography. She is devastated. She hurts to the point of feeling numb. And I know that just when she thinks she has cried all the tears she can cry, suddenly the river wells up within her again.

And I hurt right along with her. For the past few days, I have been going through the motions of putting on a happy face. Doing my best to smile and go along as if nothing is wrong. This has been especially difficult around our church family. Our church is a group of very loving people....and I can anticipate the hurt that they will feel if this offense is made known to them.

I care very much for her husband --and I too, feel betrayed to an extent --although obviously nowhere near to the extent that my friend feels.

Why is it that we have managed to treat sin in our lives so flippantly? I'm sure that her husband never in a million years thought that he could possibly be caught and just went on his merry way committing this sin over and over again with no fear of retribution. Perhaps with the attitude of "what she doesn't know won't hurt her."

Sin hurts. It hurts the sinner. And it hurts everyone around the sinner. It hurts family, friends, the church body. And most importantly --it grieves the heart of God.

There is no sin too great or too dramatic or drastic that is going to cause God to love us any less. He never quits loving us. We sin - He still loves us. Our responsibility as Christians is to be Christ-like....therefore....it is my responsibility to say that I must forgive this person.

I have been praying continually that the Lord will heal this marriage...that my friend's husband will realize the impact that he has had on his wife--that he has broken her heart. I'm praying that he will repent of all his wrongdoing. Repent --turn away from --don't ever do it again --walk away and don't look back. I know it's possible. There is so much potential for this man to become the man of God that God intended. He has a good heart...just misdirected.

May I realize that each time I choose to make a wrong choice - to sin - that I will consider how it will affect not only me --but all those around me.

Lord, help me to be holy, as You are holy.