October 27, 2026
Sin Abounds
When it comes to sin opportunities, we live in a virtual smorgasbord of choices. The Internet alone opened endless possibilities. We are exposed to corruption. Crime. Theft. Catfishing. Porn. But there are also many good things available. Higher education. Answers to questions. Wholesome entertainment. Connection to others. Recipes. AI. YouTube with its directions on how to fix or create anything. So much more. Our computers will happily take us down any path we choose to follow. The decision is totally up to us.
We are lured to sin, tempted to follow desires of the flesh and things designed to lead us away from God. If we believe God is the force for good, our Creator and our Source, we must accept there is also a force for evil or bad. When the foolish ignore God and choose to follow the enemy, it never ends well!
People try not to sin but the nature of life leads us to break rules and follow our desires. The Ten Commandments are easy when compared to other sins. Our sins of judgment and criticism, turning against friends and family because they do not agree with us morally or politically. Better to read the Word and choose to love no matter what. God never said we should love others as ourselves only if they agree with us on every issue. Failing at the one thing God called the second most important rule is going to take people straight to hell. Once we accept that we are human and born in sin we realize how desperately we need God.
It is oddly comforting to know even the Apostle Paul struggled with sin. I often make promises to God that I will refuse to feel envious, judgmental, be offended or give in to anger. And often as soon as I speak it out, I fail. Again. It takes so much focus and discipline to change our human behavior.
Just reading what it is like to be unsaved is scary. I have to grab onto God’s promises that if we repent all is forgiven. And once we repent, only foolish arrogance allows us to sin like that again. I struggle each day to do good and pray for others.
The Bible is clear that we are called to love others as we love ourselves. Try to convince a young adult they should live that truth. Young adulthood is a time of competition, races, job search, grades, love triangles; it’s a bare-knuckled fight from sunup to sundown. Why? Because we listen to our culture, we buy into a world of strife and playing catch-up. Fortunately, once the hormones and the fear of missing out begin to lose their grip, we are finally able to hear God. We stop the insanity. And we wonder why we didn’t do it so much sooner.
God has blessed mankind from the beginning. We continue to show Him how self serving we are. When it comes to choices, never choose an option you cannot openly show to God. Make good Internet choices. Make good choices in your friendships. Work hard. Listen for God’s direction. Stay focused on Him and He will stay beside you.
Dear Lord, Here I am again, apologizing for doing the things I try not to do. Help me resist the lure of sin, the pull toward wanting things I neither need nor should have. Television is the biggest catalog on earth. Program after program, ad after ad, color and glitter, all packaged and aimed straight at our ego. Lord, I desire a simple life. Possessions are cumbersome and then we feel we must protect them. Let me remember what life is about, where we are heading, and how best we will get there.
“Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” Matthew 3:2