An Affair to Remember: Check Your Thoughts
Published: September 09, 2008
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Years ago while at lunch with a co-worker, a pretty young lady entered the restaurant, he left our conversation entirely and focused on her every move for a minute or two. He turned to me and said “she just got married but she does not know it.” Not in the spirit at the time, not seeing or hearing God in the matter I let it pass. Now years later I wonder how many wives and husbands do we really have? How many mental affairs have we engaged in? How many times have you committed adultery or fornication in your mind? Occasionally my wife, Phyllis, makes me watch “Chick Flicks” one of them was Sleepless in Seattle. In this particular film, although Annie never physically met Sam she developed an affair in her mind that subsequently led to an action that caused her to break off her engagement to her fiancé Walter and this ultimately led her to the top of the Empire State Building on Valentine’s Day. Going to the Empire State Building was an idea she derived from another film, an Affair to Remember. In yet another film this same actress develops a relationship on-line that finally ends with her in a park meeting Joe her business rival who she once despised but is now madly in love with because of their affair virtual affair. (You’ve Got Mail)
The mind is one of the most powerful resources, tools and weapons known to mankind. The mind allows you to travel to far away lands without leaving the comforts of your own home. The mind has the capacity to store data-information for years. It allows you to birth ideas and inventions that can save millions of lives. Yet with that same mind you can conceive notions, plot murders, rob banks, lust and have affairs all on the canvas of your imagination. Do you remember this song? Each day through my window I watch as she passes by. I say to myself you are such a lucky guy to have a girl like her is a dream come true but it is just my imagination running away. (Temptations) Your mind is constantly beseiged. Mother Joyce calls it the Battlefield. The Apostle Paul says that we must cast down the imaginations that come to our mind. Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. II Corinthians 10:5
Have you heard the old saying, you can’t stop birds from flying over your head, but you can stop them from building a nest in your hair. Thoughts will come to your mind and sometimes they are from out of the blue. You will be like, “wow where did that come from?” At that point it is up to you and you have to decide at that very moment. Do you ponder on the thought? Do you meditate on it, nurture it or do you cast it down? Too many married couples are still active in pornography and you are polluting your mind. Too many are lusting after the flesh of others on and off the screen. Too many are having fantasies in the mind and all the time pushing the envelope closer and closer to reality. (Remember Annie did not start off in Seattle she was in Baltimore.) The rationale is I’m not hurting anybody. I’m not having an affair, I’m not committing adultery, but the truth is you are having an affair; you are having numerous affairs in your mind. You are committing adultery on a regular basis. Jesus said if you look upon a woman to lust after her you have committed adultery in your heart. Matthew 5:28. You have committed adultery in your heart which is your soul, which is your mind, your will, and your emotions. Thoughts, affairs, fantasies playing over and over again and again in your mind. Some have gone so far that they don’t know if it is live or Memorex. The sad thing is like my former co-worker the other party probably does not even know you exist. It’s just your imagination running away.
I know it has been said that men only think of one thing. If that is the case that one thing should be your wife. (see Proverbs 18:22) However, when those ungodly thoughts come you must cast them down immediately and exchange them with something else. You should have something else on your mind sometime. Finally, brothers, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things. Now that is something to remember. Philippians 4:8
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