Void of Understanding - Part 1

I once met a young man who told me his story. The story he told me was rather pathetic. When he finished I could only conclude that he was a youth void of understanding.

Not that I judge him for his error, far from it! I'd rather say that from what he told to me, I learnt quite a deep lesson as I saw the reflection of my image from the mirror of his epistle. That we all, up to varying degrees, are engaged in that old struggle-- flesh against spirit.

This brother, let us call him Alex, was quite a decent young chap aspiring unto greatness. At least he looked much of decent from the much people saw of him on the outside.

But even as I consider his story now in the process of my writing this, I can't help but imagine what was going on in the mind of Jesus when He said, "...whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity." Mt.23:27-28.


Oh yes! Alex was a smart guy with good looks, always ready and available for God's work. From what he told me of himself, I don't think anyone around him would ever have thought that as concerning him, the Scriptures would, without mincing words, pronounce him as a youth void of understanding.

That Alex was battling with masturbation was known to no flesh but himself. He struggled, he fought, he cried, he prayed, he believed, he confessed positively yet there was no stop to the unending cycle of defeat, victory, and defeat again.

In the midst of this struggle, his spirit was always and consistently getting battered. So many times he gave up in desperation and ended down the pit of wild and lascivious fantasies with his many women. To protect your moral albeit spiritual sensibilities from battering, I shall spare you the gory details of his indulgences.

It so happens that after his conscience has troubled him to drag himself to the Mercy Seat to obtain forgiveness, he picked himself up vowing never to have himself fall low again and displease God. No sooner he made the solemn promise, his eyes would feast on the female human specimen nearby while his mind engaged the sight that poured into his brain.

The length of time between his rising and falling again was a random one. Once he had been able to go for three months without this sin getting at him. But he also once made a record on the downside- a record of five minutes. He just cried to God in repentance and five minutes later, he was wallowing in the mire of masturbation.

He realised something that day. That he needed help. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Rom.7v24

Thank God that Alex is no longer the man he used to be. He told me this and was bold to say it. And when I looked into his eyes I saw pure conviction; sincerity danced in his gaze, and his body language exuded truth. Now he truly lives the experience of "...if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Thank God Alex didn't hide behind the banner of spiritual semantics and religious posture in public. Oh! They do no man no good. He sought help from his pastor and today, he is a complete overcomer as far as masturbation is concerned.

God used his pastor to privately and personally open his eyes to many truths. He didn't have enough time to tell me all of them for we were very close to the end of his journey. However, he did tell me of one of the many things that his pastor's counseling helped him to notice and understand.

"I think time will permit me to tell you just one, a profound one it is," he said.

"What is it?" I asked, eager to hear everything.

Then he shook his head and smiled. He quietly reached into his briefcase, pulled out his Bible and flipping the pages to Jam.1v14. He gave it to me and I read it out: "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed."

When I looked up, he spoke softly.

He said that all the while he struggled with masturbation, he kept photos of nude girls in his cellphone. He watched movies that had erotic scenes, he listened to sensual music; all the while thinking that it never mattered much till his pastor explained to him how seeing and hearing all that stuff built up lust waves in him gradually till it gets to a crescendo at which point, he comes crashing down with the waves onto the shore of sin.

He was still talking when our vehicle stopped and he got out. Outside, he turned towards my direction and said, "Remember Jam.1v14, remember it!"


To Be Continued... ...