Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.
Currently, I am reading a book called "On Guard: Preventing and Responding to Child Abuse at Church." I got it for free at T4G back in April. At the time, a friend told me, "It's a terrible book...but a great and important book." That may not have been his exact words, but they were something similar. I had a feeling I understood what he was getting at...but I didn't know just how hard it would be to read until I actually started reading it...wow...it's hard...
In the first section of the book (the first 5 chapters), he lays out why we need to be concerned about child abuse in the church...and he explains that we can seriously underestimate just how easily it can happen in ANY church. As I read, the author describes the different methods of child sexual predators...there were two conflicting thoughts in my head. On the one hand, I was horrified...I think about my children and the fear it brought up in my mind about whether they could become victims. I was also horrified for all the children who go through it...and the parents who see their kids work through the pain afterward. I couldn't even imagine it. I was also horrified by the evil he relates that leads people to commit abuse against children...I thought thoughts like, "How could someone do that?!?!" But this thought led me to the other thought...
I was reminded of my own sinfulness...and the need for me...for us, to guard our hearts. Any one of us, if we allow our hearts to stray far enough, could wind up committing those same kinds of acts. None of us is above it. When we allow our hearts and minds to meditate on and indulge in sinful thoughts...we are in danger of going down the path to sins that we now consider unspeakable. We don't start off on the right course of fighting our sin and living by faith in Christ...to overnight abusing children. It's a slow fade...as we give our hearts and minds over to sinful thoughts.
So, this book has been very sobering for me...to be careful what I think about and meditate on. I want to guard my heart with truth from God's Word...renew it with truth from the Bible. I need God's grace to do this. Just as I do in fighting any sin...
So this is my call to anyone reading this...don't think you're above committing even the most unspeakable acts of evil. Let's guard our hearts with truth from God's Word and rely on God's Spirit daily to lead us into greater holiness.
If you're reading this and you think you're heading down the path toward outward acts of abuse...or you've already committed acts of abuse...get help! God has given us the church to help us. God has given us many tools to fight this...you're not alone. Sin grows in darkness and secrecy...come into the light and seek help.
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