Has this happened to you? You read all the signs that were so blatantly from the Lord—“yes, this is the path, go this way, I am with you.” You have been amazed at the way he opened doors—you were scared but you walked through them. The Lord confirmed his will for you through other people too—they were excited that God was doing this. Finally, you were on board. You were excited. You were all in. You had peace about your decision.

Recently, as I approached the breakfast table I caught the tail end of a conversation my teenagers were having that ended with my son explaining to one of his younger sisters, “I would definitely kill you first if we were selected as tribute.” I was only mildly relieved to find that they were talking about The Hunger Games, the novel by Suzanne Collins and recent blockbuster movie. I’d heard mention of it, but given the way it had ruined my breakfast, I thought I should investigate further.

Doesn’t it seem good and right to fight against sin in such a way that it physically hurts? To say “no” when everything inside us wants to say “yes”?  And the last time that happened was . . . Sin takes different forms such as pride, unbelief and lust. It is lust in particular— reckless desire, covetousness, I WANT!—that hurts when taken to task.