As we begin the new year, Converge churches and missionaries from around the globe will embark on 21 Days of Prayer. Join us on this prayer journey by reading the daily entries on Converge’s blog, or by downloading your free 21 Days of Prayer: Upside-down Kingdom guide (English/Spanish). In addition, you can share daily posts from our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter feeds. Thank you for joining us as we open 2022 in prayer together.

Day 6: Adultery

Matthew 5:27-30

²⁷“You have heard that it was said, ‘you shall not commit adultery.’ ²⁸But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. ³⁰And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.”

I met my wife on a missions trip to Africa and by the time we were flying home, I was trying to  convince her to fall in love with me. It took lots of convincing and much longer than the flight had to offer, but eventually she got there. I had lived with the misconception that once we were married, temptations to look lustfully at another woman would be greatly diminished, if not completely subdued. I was wrong. A couple of years into our marriage, I felt led by the Holy Spirit to confess my thought life to my wife. I knew it was from God because I thought it was a terrible idea and wanted nothing to do with it. My wife responded graciously, and through tears and time, we established healthier boundaries to protect my heart and mind from this lifelong temptation.

Like his teaching regarding murder, Jesus takes adultery beyond the surface to the root of the issue. The seed of lust takes root in the heart, leading to adultery. Rather than drawing the line at adultery, Jesus draws the line at ever planting the seed of lust to begin with.

His use of hyperbole comes across strong, exactly as it is intended. How many lives have been cast into ruin because lust took root and grew unchecked? How many marriages destroyed, families separated, witnesses discounted and individuals objectified? And how many have avoided the transforming love and grace of Jesus out of fear, guilt or shame of their sexual past or present? Jesus sees the wedge we create between relationships with others and with him when we let this seed take root. He loves us far too much to quietly sit by while we follow the same path as so many before us.

When, where or how are you tempted to fantasize about others? What boundaries do you need to establish to protect the relationships that matter most?

Prayer

Father, you know my heart far better than I do. Search me and know me. Reveal any areas I have allowed to operate unchecked. Help me see the value of my relationships and the danger of a lustful path. I know you love me and speak so strongly on this topic because of that love. Help me to enjoy this life without the seeds of adultery that want to rob me of that joy. Amen.