My mom used to smoke. In fact that's what eventually took her life. But I grew up in a time when smoking around children was de rigueur. Now we know better and most parents don't endanger the lives of their little charges with their poor habits. (Well, at least as it comes to smoking) Because they love their kids, parents oftentimes alter their smoking habits around them.
If
only we had the same attitude towards Christ when faced with the deadly choice
to sin. Paul said in the book of Gal 2:20 "I have
been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live,
but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith
in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for
me." If this is true that Jesus is now our life then when we sin
it’s not just us we're affecting. We are polluting Christ with our second hand
smoke of our sinful choices. Think about that the next time you decide between
obedience to His commands and your self-gratification. You're not just choosing
for yourself. Like you were as a tiny child in the back seat of your parent's
(or grandparent’s) car being forced to inhale the second hand smoke of their
Marlboro Golds, you're doing the same thing to Jesus except to a greater
extent. Your second hand smoke of sin is being afflicted on He who's eyes are
too pure to look on sin (Hab 1:13)
We
say we love Jesus. Lets start with the first thing of not dragging Him to
places that would hurt Him. Since Christ is always with us, it’s not just a matter
of altering our habits to a time when He won’t be affected. Jesus in His
diabolical love for us has made sure that by being with us always He is like
the watchmen guarding the property for the Landlord’s return. So yes show your love for your savior
by asking for His help to kick your sinful habits. But take encouragement in
this that while you’re demonstrating your selfless love for Jesus He’s giving
you a blessing in return. He’s freeing you from that which will kill you.
