There’s a story of a pilot sent on a secret mission. The protocol for these pilots is usually to fly solo. On one such mission, midway through his flight, the pilot started to hear strange noises coming from the cockpit. Unfamiliar with the cracking and scratching noises, he started to peer around the cockpit trying to locate the source. As he looked around, he finally discovered the source of the noise. Down below the instrument panel he saw a rat gnawing on critical electrical wires. The problem was it was out of his reach and when he tried to grab it, would scurry and hide. This was a dangerous dilemma because if the rat were to cut through a critical line, he could lose full control of the plane leading, thus leading to his death.
The pilot’s first instinct was to descend–an emergency landing. This was not an option because his secret mission wouldn’t allow him to land just anywhere, especially not in enemy territory. Struggling with what to do and running out of time, he had an idea. He decided to slip on his oxygen mask and started a steep ascend. The higher he climbed, the fainter the noise became until finally, it stopped. When the pilot landed safely, he found the rat — dead.
Although the pilot had been trained extensively for battle, he was caught by surprise when a little nuisance turned life threatening. This is the way most of us fall. Not by a big temptation or major issue but rather over time, little by little. What’s starts as a thought, turns into glimpse, turns into a stare, turns into action, turns into habit, turns into an addiction.
Read:
Read James 1: 13-15. What does this verse tell you?
Pray:
What current behaviors / habits expose you to potentially compromising situations?
Meditate / Make It Real:
What will you do to avoid those behaviors / habits? Who will hold you accountable?
