WARNING!

If you are one of those kinds of people who look at the Bible as a sort of "buffet", where you can pick and choose what you like, and leave what doesn't really appeal to you... well, either prepare to be offended or just don't read any further.

I, for one, am of the belief that the Bible is more like the "clean plate club"-- you know, you eat everything on your plate, whether you like it or not!

Image from here

Now, hold on tight, 'cause here we go...

Several weeks ago, I came across a rather intriguing article.  This article basically put into words what I have firmly believed for a very long time:  the basic summation of the article is that homosexuality is not something you are "just born with" but is instead, a sin-- just like any and all other sins-- something that is a result of the original sin as recorded in Scripture.  And that-- being a sin nature-- really IS something we are all "just born with".

Now, before you write me off in thinking, "Oh, this is just another one of those 'homosexuality is a sin' preaching posts!" please give me just a few more moments of your time.  You will see, in fact, that that is not at all the burden that has been upon my heart.  Rather, I will instead open to you a secret part of my heart.

[But just so we're clear, the Bible does plainly state that homosexuality is a sin.  And, remember, I'm a "clean plate" gal, sooo... yah.  I believe it's a sin, too.]

If you happen to have been following my blog at all lately, you already know that I have embarked on a 100 Day Journey {if you want to catch up, just start here!}.  As I am moving through these days, the Lord has really dug down deeply into the innermost, secret parts of my very soul.  He is cleaning out things that I truly don't need and putting back in that place, things that make me so much more like and for Jesus.  One of the ways that He has been doing this work is through both my quiet time and Sunday School teaching times.  During these times, there have been several occasions for me to revisit that original sin that I mentioned a little bit ago.

In case you need a refresher, here's a recap:

God placed Adam and Eve, the original man and woman, in a perfectly created garden of Eden.  There was no sin, no pain, no problems.  They only had one rule:  do not eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  One. Rule.  However, the Evil One came to Eve and presented her with a proposition.  He carefully asked her about God's "restriction" given.  Satan questioned the very Nature of God, the goodness of God.   He led Eve to believe that God was somehow keeping her from something that she deserved. 

Has God indeed said, 

"You shall not eat of every tree of the garden"?

And, sadly, Eve listened to the wrong voice.  She looked at that tree, saw that it was good to eat.  And (this always makes me *sigh* and so very sad down in my soul when I read) she took it.

And then.  THEN she gave it to her husband. [But that's a whole 'nother post for a whole 'nother time!]

Now, let me stop you right there.  If you are anything like me, it is super easy for us to point and shake our finger at Eve, tsk-tsking her.  I get all high and mighty, simply aghast that Eve dared to disobey, she dared to give in to that tree.

But then the Lord stopped me right in my tracks.  Stopped that tsking and finger pointing.

The Lord pressed on my heart the reality that each and everyone of us has a "tree" in our life.  *I* have a tree, one that is right there behind me, practically calling my name.  A tree that the Evil One uses to tempt us-- to lure us away from any relationship with a Savior, causing us to question the very goodness of a Holy God.  Just like Eve was tempted to take from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, there are a wide variety of temptations that pose as trees in each and every life.  The Evil One is crafty; he is cunning; he is a roaring lion.  And he is ready to devour each and everyone of us.  He is able to do this because he knows exactly what "tree" tempts which person.  I firmly believe that this "tree" is often a very specific weakness in our sin nature, something that we are prone to give in to unless we day in and day out determine to "let not sin reign therefore in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts." (Romans 6:12)

Wanna know what MY "tree" is?  {Here comes my heart}

 

Food.

Yes, you read that right.  Food and the proper balance of the role food plays in my heart and life.  Food as my comfort, the challenge to my self control.

Food is my tree.

The tree that I have to battle with and wrestle against day in and day out.  Probably for the rest of my life.  And while you may not understand it (um, it's not your tree, so how could you?), let me tell you that since I now see my tree AS my tree, I understand "other sins" so much better.  I pray so much harder for my fellow brothers and sisters, I pray differently for my brothers and sisters.

There has been more than one moment in these past several weeks and months that I found myself at a crossroads.  That tree was tempting me in a most persistent manner.  And I actually said out loud:

"Ugh.  You know what, I don't want to do this anymore.  I am tired.  I like [insert some particularly scrumptious and unhealthy "treat"].  I just don't know if I can fight it any longer.  It would be so much easier to just. give. in."

And then it hit me.  [Cue your mind back to that article I was talking about in the beginning]

Imagine that person you know who has struggled with a tendency towards homosexuality their entire life.  And even the one who has now given in-- claiming "That's who I really am" or even "I've never been so happy until now.  I've really 'found myself'."  Maybe people have even said, "Oh, we just knew he was gay from the time he was in elementary school!"  But, I say NO!  No, he was not born to be a homosexual.  That is just his "tree".  He was born no differently than any other person of the human race: he was born a sinner.  But this just happens to be the fight that he must battle day in and day out.  Probably for the rest of his life.  And maybe he just got too tired of fighting.

It's so much easier to just give in.

[That's why it's called "wrestling".]

Yet, that is the battle we all are called to fight.   But we should fight together.  Why else do we read in James chapter five...

"Confess your sins one to another
[don't be ashamed or afraid to share with a brother/sister in Christ what your tree is]

And pray for one another
[wrestle for them and with them before the throne of God in heaven]

That you may be healed.

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

So what's your tree?  We know that there are only three categories... lust of the eyes [pornography, envy, jealousy], lust of the flesh [gluttony, lust, greed], and the pride of life [arrogance, self-sufficiency, power, money].  And I know that if you are honest with yourself, you also know that it doesn't do any good for you to pretend that you DON'T have a tree.  Because you do.

It is my prayer that you will never again look at the variety of trees all around in the same way.  May you remember to pray for one another every single time you see a tree.  May you pray that the Lord will give the strength for that dear one to fight.  Fight, just one more day.  Just for today, might we all resist the evil one.

Resist.  And he will flee from you.