"You
cannot stop birds flying over your head, but you can prevent
them making a nest in your hair!"
"I sit
at my desk for hours at a time. My work is boring. I have
trouble keeping my mind from wandering. The hours drag on
forever. If it were not for the women in my office who help
distract me with sexual thoughts, I think I'd go
crazy." This is a quote from Dr. Archibald Hart, a
physician, illustrating what many men experience at work.
This sexual drive is a potent force both in men and women.
Balaam used this to achieve his ends; the donkey tried to
tell him to stop!
In his
ambition to influence the society, Balaam "put a
stumbling block in front of the people by causing them to
enter into rituals with false gods and practice
immorality" (Revelation 2:14). Sexuality is
irreversibly connected to worship. In our marriage service
we promise, "With my body I thee worship…" In
their immorality the people of Israel "began to
defile themselves by sleeping with Moabite women. They
invited them to join in with ritual sacrifices to their
gods, worshipping them. So Israel 'yoked himself' to Baal,
causing the Lord's anger to blaze against his people" (Numbers
25:1-3). Balaam used "distorted sexuality" in his
management and the people became slaves again - the donkey
became yoked to another owner and complained to Balaam
(Numbers 22:28).
Money and sex
are powerful instruments in the marketplace to 'yoke' us to
false gods who seek to control us and demand allegiance.
Pornography cheapens and dehumanizes whereas true art lifts
and ennobles. It tempts us to enter a dream world, beguiling
and deceiving. Lust is a runaway, uncontrolled sexual
passion, producing a passion to possess. Richard Foster
states, "When the sense of excitement conceives a plan
to use a person, when attraction turns to scheming, we have
crossed beyond excitement to spiritual adultery."
Sexism in the workplace is the drive to dominate and control
the other.
Karl Barth
was the first theologian to state that "human sexuality
is grounded in the 'Imago Dei.' Relationship is at the heart
of our identity as being created in the image of God.
Sexuality and spirituality are not to be enemies but
friends." What is the key? Fidelity! Emil Brunner said
that "fidelity is the ethical element which enhances
natural love." One of the most successful entrepreneurs
in the Bible, Job, illustrated this. "I made a
covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl" (Job
31:1). The marriage vows, are, of course, well known. One of
my life verses is Proverbs 5:18, "May your fountain
be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your
youth." I thank God for 30 years of marriage to my
wife (more her achievement than mine)!
As I
write this, I am reading the confessions of a city mayor,
close to where I live. During a tough time in his marriage,
it came out that he was visiting a brothel. And this was
widely publicized in the nation's press last week. As a
Christian, he is working through his problems with his wife,
and has publicly asked forgiveness to the citizens and the
city council. Fidelity means keeping a covenant, with God,
with your spouse, with those around you. "If we
confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive our
sins and make us clean from all unrighteousness" (1
John 1:9).
Peter Briscoe
Peter J.
Briscoe, currently serving as European Regional Director for
CBMC International and Europartners. He lives in Leiden, The
Netherlands.
