lant in excess . He shrugs off the thought and continues , desperately needing the boost .
The stories are common , recognizable by many . In one form or another , we can relate , correct ? These seem like ordinary , harmless quirks many face . While some may realize they are struggles , others see them as facts of life and methods by which we can remain happy , satisfied or even functional . Can these as well as other seemingly harmless distractions be categorized as addictions or bondages ? Can we be negatively affected by them ? What about in the context of living a Godfearing , Bible-believing Christian life ? The truth is we all deal with bondages that surround us quite often , whether we fight them off or succumb to them . We will take a look at how we are to handle them as taught by God ’ s word .
1st John 2:16 ( CJB ) states that , “ all the things of the world – the desires of the old nature , the desires of the eyes , and the pretensions of life – are not from the Father but from the world .” Seems to be a strong statement to establish an argument against small distractions , but as we continue delving into the causes and effects of said distractions , we find the verse is quite applicable . If we consider these three main categories of the “ things of the world ”, we find they encompass the broad range of sins , from small to great . The desires of the old sin nature ( a . k . a .: the flesh ) are those things we found pleasure in ( found in Galatians 5:19-21 ) before we turned to Jesus as our Savior . The desires of the eyes are those things that we look on , although we know we should not . One example that spawns from the desires of the eyes is covetousness : we see something we know we cannot have and we desire it . Finally , the pretensions or pride of life implies a desire to exalt oneself over others . Sadly , this can be seen in the Christian realm and can be attributed to the divisions among the different denominations of Christianity throughout its existence .
By nature , our first tendency is to imagine the worst examples with regards to the three main categories of sinful desires . What about the comparably “ small ” sins , though ? Where do they fall into the categories , or how can they be classified at all ? Can we as Christians fall into bondage to them ? Although the answer is yes , there are gray areas , and it is possible that they can be classified in just one or even all three categories . Have you known someone who always needs medications because they can ’ t stand to be sick or in pain ( sin of the flesh )? What about the person who needs to shop ( sins of the flesh and eyes ), or the person who can ’ t help but stare at those of the opposite gender ( all three categories )? These are examples of things that , although you aren ’ t condemned for doing them , can lead down a path that may result in outright bondage to sin . Take the example of the medications : we know they are beneficial , but at what point do you cease usage and allow your body to heal itself ? At what point do you allow God to work a miracle ? We may need the medication for a period of time , but there are also times when continued usage will lead to dependency in one way or another . For this reason , we need to trust our doctors ; more importantly , we need to trust in the Holy Spirit to direct our steps in every area . Another good example is giving into impulses . As innocent as it seems at the time , it is easier to justify the second , third and any other time because we gave into it at least once before . Inversely , if we were to abstain or exercise patience , it ’ s easier to do the same in the future .
How then , do we know if we are in bondage to something ? The first gauge to utilize is our relationship with God . How often do you think about Him or talk to Him ? Also , our first reaction to things would be a good indicator . How do we react to pain , or when we see something physically enticing ? Our tendency as humans is to do and think about what comes easiest to us , and if we gravitate towards thoughts or actions we are accustomed to and should not be , the chances are greater there is a bondage to it . Notice that we can gauge whether or not there is bondage by evaluating our thoughts . Does bondage , therefore , begin with thoughts ? While thoughts do play a part , our bondage or freedom begins with what thoughts we allow through our minds and into our hearts .
This is what Jesus taught in Matthew 5 : He tells us that if we feel anger towards our brother , we are guilty of murder , and if we look lustfully at someone ( other than our spouses ), we are guilty