[Discoveries] 09-18-08 What we have in common -- John 8:7

[Inspiration in Your Inbox]

*"If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a 
stone at her." -- John 8:7*

I come back to this passage, because I think we should understand that 
all of us face a choice: are we going to get our needs met in God, or in 
something else -- something like a second chocolate bar, or a promotion 
at work, or a few drinks at the bar, or church appointment, or a fling 
with someone we aren't married to.

I don't know exactly why some people are wired to be susceptible to one 
temptation, while others are susceptible to other temptations. But I do 
know this: When we sin, we are most likely looking for some kind of 
solution.

A while back, someone reluctantly admitted to me that he was entangled 
in an affair. After telling me, he cringed and said, "What do you think 
of me now?"

I simply said, "I think you're a guy looking for a solution, just like 
all the rest of us."

I say this not to minimize or excuse adultery. It is a terrible sin, 
disrupting lives and destroying marriages. But I say it so we can 
understand those who get caught in this trap.

Inside, they are in pain, and they are looking frantically for a solution.

When we begin to understand what we all have in common, then we can find 
a compassion that preserves respect for those who have stumbled. Yes, 
they have fallen, and so have we. We are all in this together. We all 
need the gracious hand of God.

And He is here, ready to restore.

Be encouraged!
Dwight

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