I watched NY's governor make his statement last night with his wife by his side. Many comments went through my mind.
How frail are we? Or maybe how stupid can we be? What would cause a man to cause such pain to a beautiful, intelligent wife and three teenage daughters, not to mention the shame of losing his job, his reputation, his future...? Notice I used the pronoun "we".
I'm not asking you to bash the man or his politics. But why would he jeopardize everything by doing the very things he formerly prosecuted? What's in a man's heart (or maybe what's missing from a man's heart) that would cause him to take such a risk?
What do you think?
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I don't have the answer, but I'm sure the devil is loving it.
My husband is a high school football coach, and a colleague and friend of 20 years was recently fired because some of his players found sexually explicit pictures on his laptop of him and one of the assistant principals at the school he worked at. In that instant, a thirty year career went down the tube. Gone. He'll never work in coaching again. He has a wonderful wife, three teenage children at home, and a son who plays football for the Atlanta Falcons.
Why would he risk all that? Why would he do that to his family? I know one thing for sure, it's selfishness, and again, the devil thrives on that. Selfish.
Who knows?
I do know that when someone is searching to fill a void they may try a whole slew of things, even stupid and dangerous things.
He may have a void in his life?
I read your blog last night and thought, "I just don't know the answer to that." My devotion this morning was on Galatians 5:16 "Walk by the spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh." I thought..."Okay, God, I guess that's the long and short of it...he's not walking with You."
The Verse of the Day on biblegateway.com is similar:
“Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”- 2 Peter 1:4
But one thing I think we need to remember is what an opportunist Satan is. I have no idea what the Governor's relationship is with the Lord. The fact remains that no matter how close our walk is, Satan is all too aware of our weaknesses, and uses every opportunity he can to trip us up in those areas. Our pastor preached an awesome sermon this past weekend on the difference between guilt and shame. We all need to recognize our guilt...but there is no need for the Christian to live in shame. In fact we are called to follow Christ's example and walk with each other in the dark times. Not stand on the outside and call someone out to us, but to actually enter their pain/guilt/shame to walk through it with them as they move toward forgiveness and wholeness in Christ. I pray that there will be someone to do that with the Governor and his family during this time! Here's a link to that message, if anyone is interested:
http://www.ridgepoint.org/MessagesOnline.php?__sort=Date&__order=desc
This makes me think about the current series you are teaching. We are in a daily battle, and the enemy knows our every weakness, Sex seems to be the Achilles heel for many men (and women) in all walks of life. It is among the strongest and most basic of human urges, and the Satan takes full advantage of that.
What the Governer did was selfish and reckless, and he was obviously, like Andy said, trying to fill some kind of void in his life. I don't know if he is a Christian or not, but even sone high profile Christian leaders have been drawn into this type of sin.
As hard as it is to understand, for some people, having it all, according to the world's standards, isn't enough. We see examples of that every day, from Hollywood to Washington.
This shows just how important it is for us to put on that full armor of God. We are in a battle, and it's on the devil's turf. Without God on our side, we don't have a chance.
I think cjolly said it very well.
And I completely agree that Satan knows our weaknesses which is why it is so crucial that we do "walk by the spirit."
Ephesians 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
there a good song on the new Casting Crowns CD that talks about this...it's call "Slow Fade". It talks about how these types of things rarely happen with one decision, with one bad choice...it's almost always a series of choices that build up to the crash.
The chorus:
It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade
I am a NY resident, and am disturbed by the constant corruption that seems to plague this state's leadership at one level or another. I don't know that we are really any different than any other state, I am just aware of it as this is where I live.
I am certainly in no position to cast any stones, as I too have made selfish choices. However, it saddens me that the choices of this man will, because of his prominence, affect his children and wife so deeply in the future.
I can't pinpoint one answer as to how we get to this point, but I second most of what has already been shared. Satan does definitely know of our weaknesses and attacks us at those very points. The Casting Crowns song that was mentioned is right on, it is a slow fade. When I first heard that song, and really processed the words, they hit home in a real personal way. I didn't in one second make any one of my poor choices--it was a "slow fade", a slow process of continuing to move away from the Truth. It is so very important for us to be surrounded by Godly people, influences and support.
Based on what I've read on these several blogs, your church seems to be doing a wonderful job of not only reaching out and embracing the lost, but in leading them into becoming partners with Christ and the church as it exists. I have to admit that I am envious of that vision, and of the extension of GOD's grace.
May GOD continue to bless you in your ministry.
Before you comment, please carefully read the post.
I just deleted a comment, not because I necessarily disagreed with anything written, but because it didn't give what the post asked for. Instead it bashed the governor's character.
Again, to clarify, I'm asking for reasons why someone would do what he did.
I think it is the "Filling the void" issue. CJolly said it much better than I can, and I think Beachbug Nailed.
I think what drives people to do things like this when in a position like his is power. I do believe that power corrupts. Often times what happens in politics is that you feel pressure to make alliances with people or groups you know do not hold the same values as you do. You do it once and it is easier to do a second time, the third is easier still, until the line between right and wrong becomes blurred and you begin to believe that you ARE the law and therefore above it.
I do not feel this is the case with all elected officials, I surely hope not but for some the power does seem to corrupt them.
Because we are wretched sinners and the heart of man is utterly deceitful. I'm not sure Satan has anything to do with it, the wickedness of our own hearts is plenty.
What peaks my curiosity is that, having prosecuted these same kinds of crimes among the powerful, he knew he would be caught. He had to know that. Yet he continued.
I think the simplest answer is that he's human.
It.
(shucks) I left it off my previous post.
Mr. Gray, you now have closure...
I do wonder when I hear of these indiscretions of very public people why they would risk everything for desires of the flesh. It also makes me wonder for all the ones that do get so publicly caught, how many thousands more are comitting these same acts without being "caught"? I don't know the answer but I do know the One who does and He is the answer to keeping those men AND women who do these things on the straight path.
I praise the God every day that the man I married is involved in a weekly men's bible study that have been meeting for over 7 years. Not only do they study the Word together, they keep each other accountable for MANY things including the desires of their flesh, their finances, their marriages, their parenting, etc.
Truth be told, we ALL fall short of the glory of God and this kind of thing could potentially happen to anyone who is not walking closely with the Lord.
I have prayed for the Govenor and his family as well as the young woman involved in this. What kind of life has she led that she would fall into this lifestyle?
Well, until each of us figures out how this happens we remain terribly vulnerable. I personally lost my career as a pastor through a moral failure. I've spent several years now probing deeply to figure this one out. I believe it is was for me a "perfect storm." The storm included unexamined, unhealed wounds from boyhood, unmet emotional needs in adulthood, a stress filled occupation, and my own sinful choice. The power of the wound and unmet emotional needs will take you where you swore you would never go. I've written a small book on my story www.scottranck.com. I hope all who are reading this never experience the humiliation, shame, and pain of this type of failure. I also pray you can examine yourselves, understand yourselves and grow to a point you are not so vulnerable.
Well said, Scott.
Thanks.
(I'll add that Scott is a friend.)
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