BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU TOUCH!

By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.

© God’s Breath Publications

 

In my early teenage years I became extremely interested in Native Americans. I’m not sure why. Possibly it was because I was born and raised in Oklahoma, Indian Territory. The fact that I have a significant amount of Cherokee ancestry might have also played a role. Whatever the reasons, I devoured books on Native Americans as a teenager. I learned about their history, their development, their relationships between tribes, their family structure and their hunting and battle tactics. I became so immersed in this research I began making my own spears, bows, arrows and arrowheads. I was even asked in high school to demonstrate for a local history class, the technique I used to chip arrowheads from obsidian.

 

One day I decided that I should make a snowshoe like the Native Americans wore. One of my books showed an illustration of some snowshoes that had been discovered in a high mountain cave. I choose this artifact as the one that I would use as my template to copy. Off into the woods I went to try and find the raw materials to make my snowshoes. After a little searching I found a perfect wooden vine. The thicker portion of the vine was just the right diameter to serve as the surrounding support for the snowshoe edges. The thinner portions would be perfect for the cross pieces which would support my feet. I cut the vine down and began slicing it into the sections I would need to construct my snowshoe. I returned home with my raw materials and began my construction project.  After about an hour or two there lay before me two snowshoes similar in design as the ones pictured in my Indian Artifact Book. 

 

I took these wonderful treasures of creativity and labor to my parents and showed them what I had made. They thought they were very interesting and probably wondered where I would put them to use. I went to bed that night, pleased that I had added to my collection a replica of Native American snowshoes.

 

But for some reason I did not have a good night. My sleep was restless I couldn’t seem to get comfortable. Eventually I awoke and found myself scratching my arms and hands with a vengeance. They felt strange and numb. I got out of bed and turned on the light. I gazed at my arms and hands in disbelief. They were all red and puffy. They were covered with small pustules and blister‑like areas. The temptation to itch and scratch them was overwhelming. Needless to say, I was very worried.

 

I woke up my parents to seek their help. They were concerned and said it looked like an allergic reaction to something. My mother put a soothing cream on my cursed skin and I slept that night with socks on my hands and arms.

 

The next morning we went to the doctor and he diagnosed my problem as a poison oak reaction. Apparently I had discovered a very old poison oak plant that had formed into a tough vine and grown up the oak tree that was near it. Because of its age, it did not have the typical appearance or leaf pattern usually associated with poison oak plants.

 

The reason I share this story of one of my childhood traumas is to illustrate a point about an important issue related to our Christian life. Spiritually, what do you and I touch with our hands, eyes, hearts and minds that cause us to sin and therefore hinders our close fellowship with God? Poison oak is not to be touched and neither are other things in life that can be damaging to us spiritually. 

 

Some sin brings instant results, but just as the poison oak had a delayed reaction with my hands, sometimes sin’s penalty is postponed as well. Hebrews 11:25 speaks to us about the temporary pleasures of sin when it says, “He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.”  It is speaking here of the life of Moses. Moses chose to suffer with his people rather than enjoy the sinful pleasures of the life of a Pharaoh. What scripture is saying is that sin can be pleasurable, otherwise why would anyone choose to do it. Sin can be convenient, enjoyable and fun, BUT only for a season, a short period of time. Eventually sin will deliver its consequences. As we become entangled in the temporary pleasures of sin, we take our eyes off of God. Our heart and mind no longer dwell on His commandments and His will. We choose to take an ungodly path leading down the road of unrighteousness.

 

Often we let our feet take us to places we should never go. Sometimes our eyes scan things we should not see. Frequently we allow our mind to dwell on things that are impure and wrong. Sometimes we let things enter our ears that we should not listen to. Often we permit our heart to be drawn to things or people that we should avoid.

 

There’s an old saying that states, “If you don’t plan to go in the house, stay off the porch.” The wisdom implied here is that if you know you would never desire to end up in obvious sin, don’t play with subtle sin. We don’t want to get burned with fire, but too often we play in the hot coals seeing how close we can come without getting hurt. Sin can be filled with just as much deception.  Philippians 4:8 tells us what we should expose ourselves to when it says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable‑‑ if anything is excellent or praiseworthy‑‑ think about such things.” As God’s children we should take care what we touch, look at, listen to, give our minds to, expose our hearts to and what we let influence our souls. While this can be difficult at times, we must remember that we have committed our lives to Christ. Do you remember what Galatians 2:20 states? “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” 

 

Paul in Romans chapter seven discusses the turmoil that occurs in a Christian’s life as they battle with sin. Our battle for holiness and righteousness has been ultimately won by Christ’s death on the cross, but we must live out our lives in obedience to Christ. We have a responsibility and a duty to demonstrate our love for our Lord by living in obedience to His word. We do not work for our salvation, but our works and deeds are evidence of the faith we hold and the love we have for our Heavenly Father.

 

We need to be sure we are not just “Talking” about our faith, but “Walking” it out in our lives. James 2:26 convicts us to walk our talk when it says, “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.” The evidence that we are truly born again, a child of God and a Disciple of Christ is that we work out each day; with the strength God gives us, to live our lives pleasing to our Heavenly Father. We must understand the balance here. God is not impressed with WHAT we do, if it does not reflect WHO we really are. God knows the heart of each one of us (Acts 15:8). He wants our hearts to seek Him.

 

If we have a Godly perspective of our lives, we can see sin for what it is. We can understand that any temporary pleasure we might obtain from pursuing sin would be more than outweighed by the consequences of it. Sensitivity to sin is, to some degree, a skill that must be developed. Some sins are obvious to anyone, other sins are difficult to discern without spiritual maturity and growth. We need to be in God’s word gaining insight and knowledge. We need to be in prayer daily to seek God’s wisdom and guidance. We need to seek out brothers and sisters in Christ so we can be mentored and discipled by others in the faith. These are the things we need to do to avoid the sins that would draw us away from a dynamic and intimate relationship with our Savior. 

 

Have you been touching, seeing, and seeking things you shouldn’t? Has some sin come between you and your loving Jesus? Seek forgiveness in your Savior.

 

Possibly you know someone who has strayed and seems to be in the midst of the pleasures of sin. God may be telling you to confront them in a loving manner so that He can bring them back into fellowship with Him.

 

Philippians 2:12

“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed‑‑ not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence‑‑ continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.”