Keep your eyes on the prize

Have you ever noticed just how easy it is to get distracted from what is good and from God? Seriously, it can happen in a blink of the eye.

Just today, I was channel surfing. I landed on MTV, a place where I normally do not linger. I was shocked to see two women kissing to the obvious pleasure of the roaring and hooting crowd of attractive men and women. Wondering what in the world this insanity of a show was, I watched -- big mistake. Apparently, this is a dating show. Men and women vying for the "love" of one woman. After a few minutes of crazy dialogue with more bleeps than words, I turned the channel.

These are images that our children, if we're not careful, can stumble upon. This is the first time we've had cable in a very, very long time. Now I remember some of the many benefits to not having it.

My main point in this is that as Princess Warriors, daughters of the King of Kings, we must shield our eyes from what the world touts as normal. The beginning of sin begins with a thought. A gaze that lingers a second too long, just a taste of that scrumptious treat, only a brief hesitation and we can let our guard down. The devil is well aware of those times when we are not defending our minds, when we allow our thoughts to run rampant, when we forget to take our thoughts captive as our King commands.

King David was a prime example of this spiral downward. First he saw a beautiful woman bathing. Rather than turning from the sight, he stayed and watched. Temptation grew, and although he was a renowned fighter he failed to use the spiritural weapons at his disposal. As most of you know, the story ends in disaster. Adultry. Lies. Betrayal. Murder. Death of a child -- his child.

Ladies, we can't afford to let our guards down. Our enemy is waiting for us to forget just how serious sin is. Then he can sink his claws in and tear us to shreds if we let him.

The good news is that we can flee from sin. We can keep our armor well-polished and in working order. Will it take effort? You bet it will! But the victory is well worth the spiritual sweat.

Maybe there's something specific in your life that you need to flee from. A certain TV show, a specific book genre, hanging out with the wrong friends, buying things you don't need to fill your heart hunger, the list could go on for miles. Who knows? -- maybe you dwell on negative or sensuous thoughts. We have to take those thoughts captive and stop them from escallating into a full blown sin-attack.

Let's remember as we go about God's business to keep our eyes on the prize. When resisiting seems hard, and it will, remember the reward at the end of road -- a permanent place in Heaven with Jesus Christ.

Royal Reminder: Staying focussed on the "right things" and will make it easier to stay on the right path. Amen!

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers (sisters), I do no consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12 to 14