the basic message #E283

8/29/04

Although I've been fishing quite a few times in my younger days, I'm not a fisherman.  I do, however, understand some of the strategy behind snagging the big one, and one of those key strategies is quite similar to one used in the spiritual realm.  Imagine this scene: A fish is swimming along happily when he spies a beautiful worm just ahead.  Now this is a smart fish- he isn't easily fooled by the plastic kind of worm- he knows a real worm when he sees it.  After one big gulp the fish realizes he has a problem- along with the juicy worm, he has a very sharp hook embedded in his mouth.  Apparently many humans aren't much smarter than the fish in my story above.  A human, like the fish, is going through life happily when all of a sudden an opportunity comes up that looks mighty tasty.  Perhaps a woman's efforts in her job have received the attention of the company president.  The president recognizes talent when he sees it, and he wants to capitalize on this talented lady.  He offers her a large promotion that will reward her with power, prestige, and that all-important salary increase.  Sounds good, right?  What I didn't mention is that the woman is married and has a couple of children.  Her husband has a good, stable job, but his career has much less to offer than his wife's career.  The family has lived in the same neighborhood for years, and the kids have developed close friendships both in the neighborhood and in school.  The family lives a happy, fulfilled life, yet that's about to change.

The woman in the story has explained in detail to her husband and children what a wonderful opportunity she has to move up within her company.  While her family agrees that it is a wonderful opportunity for her, they're not too sure that it's a great opportunity for the rest of them.  The Bible tells us that the man is the head of his household, but we've seen a growing trend in which the wife clearly runs many American households, but that's a subject for another day.  I won't belabor the scenario I've created, but let's just fast forward through the remaining points:  The career-minded women wins out, the family moves 2000 miles away from friends, schools, family and everything else held dear to them.  Sadly, once the ball is in motion, it's likely to be a no-win, regardless of the outcome.  If she becomes even more successful, she becomes less of a mom and wife, and if she bombs the family might get back home, but her mental outlook is compromised.  Please understand that I have nothing against people who want to be successful- in fact, I like success.  The big difference is that we can pursue success with God's blessing, or we can pursue success against God's advice.  Clearly, things always work better when we're moving in synch with God's plan.

So what does fishing have to do with all of this stuff?  It's pretty simple- the worm is all of the stuff we're wanting in life.  For you guys that never seem to grow up, it might be a 40 foot Donzi speedboat or a $75,000 Orange County chopper.  Maybe your tastes aren't so extravagant, but you might be the kind of guy that gets a new Ford Superduty in January, and then decides in April that he simply can't live without a Silverado SS.  Your impulses keep you and your family in constant financial disarray.  The worm in your life can be one of hundreds of things, but regardless, you simply have to put that entire worm in your mouth.  Sadly, we, like the fish, find out all too late that the juicy worm has that big hook inside it.  Satan is the hook inside the worm we swallow, and Satan, like that sharp hook, hangs on to us with a vengeance. 

It's not impossible to break free from Satan, and in fact, the procedure is surprisingly simple.  All we have to do is ask God to send the Holy Spirit to us and rid us of all of the impulses and tendencies that cause us to get into trouble.  Sounds easy, right?  Unfortunately, like the chain smoker that knows he needs to quit and the alcoholic that knows he kick the booze, most of us prefer to hang onto our sins of choice.  Maybe the preacher that secretly slips off to view Internet porn knows very well that he shouldn't be looking at this filth, but.........he likes it.  It takes a great deal of courage to invite the Holy Spirit into our lives to make the much needed changes, but this is a fundamental part of a successful Christian's life.  Why don't we hear more from the pulpit about the agency of the Holy Spirit?  I think it's pretty simple- if a preacher is convinced, and can convince the congregation that the Holy Spirit can help us purge the sin from our lives, then we have absolutely no more excuses and no where to hide.  We finally come face to face with the impurity in our lives and we're asked a very simple question: "Do you want to be healed?"  As Dirty Harry might say, "Well, PUNK, do you?!"