Friday, February 09, 2007
How To Cheat on Your Life
Cheating, although as old as mankind, has a way of outwitting us. It always starts with the lie that we can break God’s eternal laws and win. Somehow we think that if we jump off a cliff and flap our arms we will fly, in spite of the many others we have watched fail at such attempts.
Most of us eventually figure out that the person who cheats on a test is really cheating the learning process; they are cheating themselves. In fact, at some level we are so convinced that cheating is wrong that we make laws to insure that doctors don’t cheat on surgeries, contractors don’t cheat on bridge building, policeman don’t cheat by taking bribes, and employers don’t cheat by stealing pension funds. It seems that we all want the other guy to obey the Ten Commandments, but have “good” reasons why we should be allowed cheat. This line of reasoning has successfully destroyed many lives and civilizations since the beginning of time.
Allow me to enumerate some popular ways people have cheated throughout the ages:
We cheat on our health by using drugs, alcohol, and food improperly. The negative results are to numerous to mention. Suffice it to say that these practices kill more people every year that do wars and acts of terrorism.
We cheat on our reputation by compromising deals, telling while lies, doing less than our best at work, etc. This undermines a sense of personal integrity and self-worth. If cheating can steal our identity, it robs us of any possibility for true peace and happiness?
We cheat those we love by running from responsibilities, engaging in immoral behavior, and pursuing selfish interests. For example, the person who cheats on their marriage forfeits trust, respect, peace of mind, true love, honest intimacy, and many other valuable blessing accompany fidelity. Perhaps we have seen too many movies where such activity seems to pan out; in the movies two beautiful people often cheat their way to happiness. But movies are made up. Movies don’t show the elderly man or woman sitting alone in a bar wondering why no one is there for them because years of selfishness have cheated them of a loving family and friends.
Cheating techniques, like clothing styles, have a way of resurfacing in society as “new” and creative, when, as King Solomon said, “There is nothing new under the sun.” There is nothing new about incest, violent sexual practices, multiple partners, drive by shootings, drunkenness, or extortion. They are the same tricks played on new victims who think they can cheat and get away with it. But cheating ruins marriages, families, companies, communities and nations. Cheating does not start working to your advantage just because more people are doing it. History testifies that cheating has a way of becoming an epidemic that ravages entire people groups.
The good news is that cheating can be cured. In the same way that clean drinking water and basic health codes protect millions of citizens, a few simple practices could drastically reduce the number of cheating incidents in our world. Here are some simple antidotes to cheating:
1. Get honest with your Counselor. God set up system of FREE daily counseling and accountability; it is called prayer. Prayer is a time when we can talk right to God about our thoughts and feelings. Bounce your plans off Him and you’ll be more likely to make responsible choices that don’t cheat you and your loved ones.
2. Operate by “The Manual.” There is currently a deadly stunt that is becoming popular called “Ghost Riding.” The practice includes starting a vehicle down the road and then climbing outside the vehicle – even letting go of the steering wheel. It has been fatal. I’m sure it violates the operating instructions included in the owners’ manual. The Bible is not a list of unreasonable rules, it is a manual filled with time-proven principles that work.
3. Take advantage of grace. God built in solutions for those caught cheating. Although cheating always has repercussions, it can be forgiven and people can change the way they operate. “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.” (1 John 1:9)
4. Associate with others who have chosen to live honest lives. There are many great prayer groups, Bible study groups and churches that are committed to helping people live complete, healthy, disciplined lives. Worship, fellowship, and accountability will often save someone from cheating on themselves and their families.
Doing the right thing may seem more difficult, but cheating has consistently proven more deadly. You really don’t want to cheat on your life. If you’ll seek Him out God will give you the courage you need to overcome a cheatin’ heart.
Most of us eventually figure out that the person who cheats on a test is really cheating the learning process; they are cheating themselves. In fact, at some level we are so convinced that cheating is wrong that we make laws to insure that doctors don’t cheat on surgeries, contractors don’t cheat on bridge building, policeman don’t cheat by taking bribes, and employers don’t cheat by stealing pension funds. It seems that we all want the other guy to obey the Ten Commandments, but have “good” reasons why we should be allowed cheat. This line of reasoning has successfully destroyed many lives and civilizations since the beginning of time.
Allow me to enumerate some popular ways people have cheated throughout the ages:
We cheat on our health by using drugs, alcohol, and food improperly. The negative results are to numerous to mention. Suffice it to say that these practices kill more people every year that do wars and acts of terrorism.
We cheat on our reputation by compromising deals, telling while lies, doing less than our best at work, etc. This undermines a sense of personal integrity and self-worth. If cheating can steal our identity, it robs us of any possibility for true peace and happiness?
We cheat those we love by running from responsibilities, engaging in immoral behavior, and pursuing selfish interests. For example, the person who cheats on their marriage forfeits trust, respect, peace of mind, true love, honest intimacy, and many other valuable blessing accompany fidelity. Perhaps we have seen too many movies where such activity seems to pan out; in the movies two beautiful people often cheat their way to happiness. But movies are made up. Movies don’t show the elderly man or woman sitting alone in a bar wondering why no one is there for them because years of selfishness have cheated them of a loving family and friends.
Cheating techniques, like clothing styles, have a way of resurfacing in society as “new” and creative, when, as King Solomon said, “There is nothing new under the sun.” There is nothing new about incest, violent sexual practices, multiple partners, drive by shootings, drunkenness, or extortion. They are the same tricks played on new victims who think they can cheat and get away with it. But cheating ruins marriages, families, companies, communities and nations. Cheating does not start working to your advantage just because more people are doing it. History testifies that cheating has a way of becoming an epidemic that ravages entire people groups.
The good news is that cheating can be cured. In the same way that clean drinking water and basic health codes protect millions of citizens, a few simple practices could drastically reduce the number of cheating incidents in our world. Here are some simple antidotes to cheating:
1. Get honest with your Counselor. God set up system of FREE daily counseling and accountability; it is called prayer. Prayer is a time when we can talk right to God about our thoughts and feelings. Bounce your plans off Him and you’ll be more likely to make responsible choices that don’t cheat you and your loved ones.
2. Operate by “The Manual.” There is currently a deadly stunt that is becoming popular called “Ghost Riding.” The practice includes starting a vehicle down the road and then climbing outside the vehicle – even letting go of the steering wheel. It has been fatal. I’m sure it violates the operating instructions included in the owners’ manual. The Bible is not a list of unreasonable rules, it is a manual filled with time-proven principles that work.
3. Take advantage of grace. God built in solutions for those caught cheating. Although cheating always has repercussions, it can be forgiven and people can change the way they operate. “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.” (1 John 1:9)
4. Associate with others who have chosen to live honest lives. There are many great prayer groups, Bible study groups and churches that are committed to helping people live complete, healthy, disciplined lives. Worship, fellowship, and accountability will often save someone from cheating on themselves and their families.
Doing the right thing may seem more difficult, but cheating has consistently proven more deadly. You really don’t want to cheat on your life. If you’ll seek Him out God will give you the courage you need to overcome a cheatin’ heart.
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