1 Peter 5:8-11
A boy’s father bought a new lawn mower and told his son that he could keep half of the money if he sold their old one. So the boy posted an ad on the bulletin board at their local grocery store, and within a few days a prospective buyer came by to see it. ‘Does it run?” he asked. “Yes sir,” the boy answered, “it runs great once you get it started.” So the man tried, but even after several pulls, he couldn’t get it going. “It won’t start,” he said. “You gotta cuss it,” the boy told him. “Son,” the man answered, “I’m a minister and I haven’t cussed in thirty years.” The boy replied, “Keep pullin’. It’ll come back to you.”
We’ve been discussing the Seven Deadly Sins, and today we’ll be focusing on the sin of “gluttony.” Only we’ll broaden that concept to include overindulgence in general, because our problem might not be a matter of excessive eating, but a lack of discipline and clear boundaries in any number of other areas.
Our fallen human nature makes us vulnerable to all sorts of addictive and self-destructive behaviors, whether it’s substance abuse, compulsive gambling, the dangerous lure of pornography, or the obsessive use of technology, to name just a few. The tension between our desires and our need for self-discipline and healthy boundaries is as relevant an issue in our times as it has ever been.
A few years ago I realized that I had become addicted to checking news updates on my phone several times a day, which was affecting my attitude for the worse. So I decided for Lent that year to fast from that compulsive habit by limiting my headline updates to once a day, and it proved to be the best Lenten experience I’ve ever had. It helped me not only to detoxify from the pervasive negativity, but also to rein in an unhealthy addiction to my phone. I know I’m not alone, either. Excessive screen time in general is a serious problem today, and only growing worse.
You might remember the popular saying from the Sixties, “If it feels good, do it.” That philosophy hasn’t worn very well, needless to say. A fulfilling life requires a certain degree of discipline, like exercising, or putting money into savings, or eating a healthy diet. We need to find a creative balance in our lives between desire and discipline.
I heard a prominent pastor give an everyday illustration of what this looks like in his life. Rather than having a reserved parking space near his office, he parks his car about 100 yards away in the church parking lot and picks up trash as he walks in to work. He does this as a small discipline, a way of helping him to stay grounded. The day came, however, when he just didn’t feel like it, and he almost broke that habit. But he realized, “that’s how it starts.” Once we loosen our discipline it becomes easier the next time, and before long it’s lost altogether. “That’s how it starts,” by giving in to those occasional weak moments. And even small things can become chinks in our armor for Satan to attack.
My mother had a favorite saying that “too good is no good” when it comes to parenting. She meant that discipline and reasonable boundaries are healthier and more character-building than providing children with a life of indulgence. The steel tycoon Andrew Carnegie is a famous example of someone who saw that danger and chose to donate the vast bulk of his wealth to charitable causes rather than spoiling his heirs with huge inheritances. Too good is no good.
Discipline and healthy boundaries are also very important elements of living the Christian life. Listen to what the Apostle Peter says about this: (Read 1 Pe. 5:8-9).
That’s a strong warning for us to be self-disciplined and alert to Satan’s dangerous presence in the world, always looking for weakness and ready to attack, like a hungry lion. Lions prey on the most vulnerable animals in a herd, those who are weak or careless. They also like to attack from behind if they can, to seize the advantage of surprise. So we need to stay alert to the very real threat of spiritual attack, and to resist the devil by keeping up our guard.
We hear more these days about ransomware attacks, in which a malicious virus can enter a computer network through just one careless act of opening a suspicious email, which allows a criminal to enter the system’s software and seize control of all the data. These attacks have become a huge concern, causing massive disruptions and expense, just because of one person’s careless lapse in judgment. That’s all it takes.
The same thing can happen spiritually. How many men, for instance, have become ensnared by internet pornography because of yielding to temptation in a weak moment, probably late at night when they’re tired and let their guards down? Satan prowls the internet with purely malicious intent. Beware of those weak moments that can ruin your life and hurt those you love. “Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings'' (v. 9).
As Paul wrote to Timothy, “flee youthful lusts” (2 Ti. 2:22). “Flee!” Get off the computer or cell phone, change the channel, or leave the scene. Very often, the best response is to flee, like Joseph escaping from Potiphar’s wife. Know your weaknesses, and do whatever you have to do to avoid them. Because as we remain alert to Satan’s presence and flee his temptations when necessary, we’ll become stronger for the next attack.
In fact, the passage continues with a promise: “The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (vv. 10-11). God honors our commitment to stand our ground, and he restores and strengthens us as those trials pass.
But let’s also remember that God is “the God of all grace.” There’s grace all throughout the Christian life, from beginning to end, meaning that even if we fail, his love and mercy remain. We live and learn from our experiences, even the failures, becoming wiser and more alert to resist the next temptation.
Much of our life experience consists of learning from our mistakes. We grow from reflecting on our experience, the memory of our failures and the pain associated with them. And learning is a gift, even when pain is your teacher. But, of course, it’s far better not to have to learn everything the hard way. Self-discipline and maintaining healthy boundaries keep us from having to repeat those painful lessons.
My father had been a smoker for many years, and he used to joke that “It isn’t that hard to quit; I’ve done it many times.” Until finally, after years of failed attempts, he came to the realization that, in his words, “I’m just one cigarette away from becoming a smoker again,” and that’s when he was able to quit for good. He learned that he needed that very clear, definite boundary to defeat his addiction. Recovering alcoholics have learned the same lesson: healthy boundaries and self-discipline are imperative to living a better life.
We all have our own Achilles’ heels, our own temptations to resist. It might be a weight problem, or trouble controlling our tongue, or our thought life. Some issues are out in the open, while others are between us and God--but we all have them. But the answer is always the same: self-discipline and keeping clear boundaries.
Peter concludes by writing, “To (God) be the power for ever and ever. Amen.” Because it’s always, and only, God’s power at work in us that allows us to live in the Spirit. “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).
So this isn’t simply a matter of “white-knuckling” it in our own will power, but of living in a close, dependent relationship with God. God provides his power through the grace and truth of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be all honor and glory forever. Amen.
