Admittedly, I'm a bit flummoxed today.
A few weeks ago an inmate came by my office seeking godly counsel. He was approaching his release date and had a dilemma. You see, before he got locked up he had been living with a woman who was not his wife. Now he's had an experience with Christ. He wanted to know if I thought it might be alright if, when he got out, he went back to living with this woman even though they weren't married. I said, "No."
"Even if we have separate rooms, preacher?"
Again I said, "No."
"But preacher," he tried again, "We've been together for nine years. Don't you think we're really already married in God's eyes?"
Once again I answered, "No." Then we talked for a good while about what the Scriptures say concerning marriage. I talked with him about honoring God, and the importance of vows, and whether he really believed he'd be able to withstand the temptation of living in the same house, but in different rooms.
He admitted that he knew when he came in what I would tell him. He knew what was right and what he should do. Then he thanked me and left.
I saw that inmate this morning. Knowing that he was going home in just a few days and remembering our conversation, I asked him if he'd "taken care of that thing we talked about? Have you made some better arrangements?"
Very sheepishly he answered, "No."
He's decided to go and do the wrong thing. Even after receiving godly counsel. And even knowing in his heart what's right.
I guess I'm just left wondering: Why'd he even bother to ask?
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
This is my journey - a look at some of my struggles and discoveries on this daily walk toward eternity. Here you can check out my musings about faith, and family, and ministry, and just some of the off-the-wall stuff I think about sometimes. Thanks for taking the time to browse.
About Me
- Tom Burger
- Charlotte, N.C., United States
- Husband, Father, Grandfather, Cancer Survivor, Preacher, Teacher, Author, Counselor, Prison Chaplain... and above all, follower of Jesus Christ
Blogs I like to Check Out
Stuff I'm Reading
- The Furious Longing of God - Brennan Manning
- Dangerous Wonder - Mike Yaconelli
- Getting to No, How To Break a Stubborn Habit - Erwin Lutzer
- Washington's God - Michael Novak
3 comments:
Your words are not ignored uncle Tom, I imagine what's hard for him is not the difference between what God wants and what's ungodly, but being strong enough to explain it to the others involved?! It's too bad you can't go home with him and coach him on the outside.
hmmmm.... true, why ask?
just found you, from scl. thanks for writing; i've enjoyed what i've read so much, i had to comment.
i used to be a chem-dependency counselor, and your inmate reminds me of the kids who didn't want to change their lifestyle, friends, etc after they got out of treatment.
they were already planning their relapse, and the "outside" was what they used as a reason to succumb to old behaviors. all of this might not be intentional, but habits (chemical or otherwise) become habits because they give us something. that something might be a poor substitute for something wonderful, but we go towards that fix anyway.
sex vs. relationship, even marriage
high vs. feeling good about yourself
you've seen it all, i'm sure. thanks for doing good work. will be praying for you and your 'mates.
Post a Comment