I usually check our mailbox at the end of the day. I bring all those mails (including junk mails) and put them in the kitchen island table. I always look through them to see if I have any mail and leave the rest for the rest of the Banko’s to check and take theirs.

I love those magazines which always come with the mail with 15% and 25% off coupons. I clip those coupons and put them in my purse to use them if and when I stop by at the mall. I sometimes do my “window shopping” in my kitchen flipping through those magazines. I sometimes don’t find time to see them all; so I put them aside for later time.

Then one day, while we were preparing to eat dinner, my Berhan (my husband) collected all those magazines and handed them to me and said, “Missy, it is okay for you to look through these magazines but not for us men including my boys. We struggle to bounce back our eyes from the lingerie sections. Our nature is completely different from yours. Can you help us so that we won’t be tempted in our own home? Can you put those magazines in the trash before we get to them?”

I gulped my own saliva as if it was a big rock stuck in my throat. How can I be that stupid? How can I be that clueless? I felt like I opened my house for all the angels of hell to come and take over the boys. Million things flew in my mind at that very moment. Wow! I didn’t know. I sometimes leave the lingerie section open until I get scissors to cut the coupons out.

From that day on, I take the coupons out on my way home and put all those magazines directly in the trash.

I joined my husband and my two teen boys on their fight against lust. I didn’t say to my husband, “How could you get tempted with these fake, air-brushed hardly covered women’s pictures?” At least I know not to say that because I also go to my husband seeking his help for me to stay pure.

Listen what the Word says: “Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” 2 Timothy 2:22

My favorite phrase from the above verse is “along with.”

Here is my message for today then:

If you don’t have anyone you can pursue godly living with, you are in danger because NONE of us can do it alone. We need others to help us in our battle to stay pure. We need others not only to protect us but to hold us accountable and responsible. Sure, we didn’t come to Christ as a team but we can’t follow Christ unless we are in a team of two or three or four other like-minded believers. ///