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Half steps

Last night I watched Joshua Harris' video on purity, and he made a comment that got my mind to thinking (no jokes please ;)

He said that purity was lost by tiny little steps away from righteousness, away from holiness. He cited David and his sin with Bathsheba. That whole little episode began with this thought: that when kings went to war, David stayed home. It was not a big deal, just a little step. He wasn't were he should have been. Then he saw a woman bathing on her rooftop, and instead of looking away and praying away the sinful thoughts, he looked. He watched, he lingered, he lusted. Then he called for her, and one thing led to another until not only was he an adulterer, but a lier, and a murderer too.

All because he took a few little steps, half steps towards sin away from God's holiness.

Being the martial minded person that I am, I naturally thought of some kung fu concept that I could use to parallel this idea, and it came quite naturally. I have found that one of the best ways to close the gap with someone, or to force them back, isn't with brute force or by leaping a great distance, but by taking small steps. We call them half steps and we use them to cover, create, or keep distance between our opponents and ourselves.

It would amaze you how close I can get to you without you even knowing it by only taking half steps. Or, even force you into a corner that you don't want to be in by taking half steps. I can work my way through a very crowded room by half steps, and step someone all the way across the room and never take a big step.

sometimes we let ourselves get worked into a corner, or forced into a spot that comprimises our witness, that effects our own relationship with God without ever even realizing it because we never took a big step. Many times, as I was a beginner, I had a tendancy to get myself backed into a corner. I never could figure out how I got there. Then one day, I realized that it was because I wasn't being aware of the small steps that I was taking backwards. From that day on, I began using that to my advantage, taking small steps forward.

Just like that realization and the application of taking small steps forward, we need to spiritualize it and begin taking steps towards holiness and purity and not away from it.

thanks for reading, write at ya later.

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Comments

Interesting--This directly connects with what I had to face during these last few weeks at camp. Because the end is in sight, it's easy to take little steps away from giving your all--then you realize how far from love you've fallen. (Revelation 2:4-5)

for those of you who don't know that referance she used by heart, and probably won't look it up, here it is:

2:4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.
2:5 Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

I see this very evidently all around me. good comment Amanda! thank you

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