Compromising On What's Right

"Now the serpent was the most crafty of all the wild creatures that Yahweh God had made. He said to the woman, 'Did God really say: You must not eat from any tree in the garden?'" - Genesis 3:1

That serpent really is the craftiest of all the creatures! Eve knew exactly what God had said. She heard perfectly clear what He said and what she should do. And what happened to Eve happens to all of us. We know what's good for us. We know the difference between right and wrong, and we are also smart enough to know what to do in the gray areas. We have enough experience to foresee the repercussions of our actions. But what happens when sin comes before our eyes? At least in my case, things start to get fuzzy. Knowing myself, in Eve's position, once the devil comes to tempt me, I would definitely question myself. For example, if the question would have been, "is this apple red?" and I was being tempted to answer that it wasn't, I would start thinking, "well, it's not technically red… it looks a little yellowish in some areas and a bit burgundy on this side." The point is that we know what the right answer is but if we're weak, and faced with temptation, we find ourselves compromising and rationalizing on what we want the answer to be compared to what we actually know it is. As smart as we think we are, the devil totally blind sides us into believing the opposite, although most times, in our hearts we feel we did wrong.

Think about the areas in your life where you do this. Do you have a problem with alcohol, or do you tell yourself you can control it? Do you need to ask forgiveness over a grudge you're holding, or do you tell yourself that person deserves it? Are you questioning your immoral sexual behavior, or do you tell yourself that everyone is doing it and it's not a big deal? Do you have a real excuse for not attending mass every Sunday, or do you tell yourself you don't need to go to church to worship God? These are the questions you need to ask yourself. I'm sure you already have the answers in your heart. The right answer should leave you at peace with no guilty feelings at all. If you consistently choose to sin, what you need to do is realize that you are compromising on the answer. You're sinning like Eve in the garden. Be strong about what you know God wants from you and act on it!

Today's Prayer:
Lord God, I hear Your voice, I know what is right, but it is so hard for me to actually go through with what is good. Cut through the temptation, make me stronger, and help me to consistently choose the path which leads to You. In Your Name we pray, amen.