Window Shopping

When we were kids, my mom used to give us an imaginary $100, and tell us to go window-shopping.  I must have been an easy-to-please kid, because I always thought that was a fun activity.  I still like to browse, it’s a harmless, free pastime, and I come home with a full wallet.  

There is another kind of window-shopping that is not so innocuous, and can wind up costing a hefty price.  I’m talking about looking into areas outside of what is good for us as Christians.  Let’s be honest, we all have peeked into those “shops” at one time or another.  Perhaps as a married person it was a playful flirtation.  Maybe you were lured into gambling your rent money away.  How about watching TV programs which grab our attention by flaunting immorality, or movies that use profane or vulgar language?  Addictions to pornography, heroin and other drugs have reached epidemic levels, and it all starts with a quick, harmless look in the window. 

Just because you call yourself a Christian doesn’t mean you’re immune, in fact many  “window shoppers” are believers.  They justify their actions by saying it’s only looking, and then they put the blame on God for giving them free will.  Paul understood this dilemma, and spoke from a personal perspective when he said this.  “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.”  Romans 7:15.  Yes, the fact remains that we, along with the great evangelist, are easily tempted creatures.  Do the names Adam and Eve ring a bell?  Why did God make us like that?  It would have been a whole lot easier if he had just programmed us to stay away from sin, without any effort on our parts.  “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.” Galatians 5:17.  Verse after verse warns us to,  “Stay away from every kind of evil (even the appearance of evil).” 1 Thessalonians 5:22. 

Wow, even the appearance of evil is to be avoided.  So what is a weak-willed human being to do?  First, and foremost, be sure of what God considers evil.  Second, stay away from it!  Easy-peasy, right?  Well, we all know it’s anything but easy. I suggest pairing yourself up with another believer who will act as an accountability partner.  Just make sure it’s someone who isn’t afraid to call you out if he/she catches you at the shop window, and be prepared to do the same for them.  Other than that keep yourself from tempting situations by studying, praying, and keeping in fellowship!  Remember, the only one God ever “led into temptation” was Jesus, and he assures us that he will provide an escape if we happen to cave in.  Keep your eyes on Jesus, and not the junk the shops of the world offer. “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.”  Hebrews 12:2