INFIDELITY

Romans 13:13,14—Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

The most amazing thing happened while I was away recently on a trip to Japan. A small group of Americans were teaching a few Japanese, slang expressions we use in the U.S. I joined in the brainstorming to supply words like “rad”, “holy cow”, “get a grip” etc. About ten minutes later I left to return to my own workstation. My two Japanese coworkers were reading the latest copy of the newspaper Stars and Stripes. They wanted me to explain what the word “bimbo” meant in the title line of a front page article about President Clinton and his latest woes with Ms. Lewinsky. The American Heritage Dictionary uses the following definition of the word bimbo.

bim·bo (b¹m“b½) n. 1. Offensive. Slang. A woman, especially one who is perceived as vacuous or as having an exaggerated interest in sexuality. 2. Slang. A vacuous person: “a male bimbo . . . who even has to be tutored . . . in the clichés that comprise the basic interview” (George F. Will)

It was rather embarrassing to explain a slang term used to inculpate the leader of my own nation. But it triggered a flurry of thoughts. Our reputation is solidified by our conduct and character. Infidelity rapidly trashes one’s reputation. Sadly, without Jesus we are all bimbos. For we all possess an exaggerated interest in our own sexuality.

The Apostle Paul challenged the Roman Christians to “clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ.” In other words, if you want to be morally clean, live and act like Jesus did. Whenever we take our focus off of Him we are subject to our own sin nature and its plotting thoughts. Let’s make sure that what we model “rings true” for then we really will be “good to go.”

Inspiration

The great cure for infidelity is obedience to the Spirit of God.—Oswald Chambers in Studies on the Sermon on the Mount