Our Favorite Sins by Todd D. Hunter

Author:Todd D. Hunter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2012-01-19T00:00:00+00:00

A favorite hymn contains the lyric, “Prone to wander—Lord, I feel it—prone to leave the God I love.”4 To be prone to something means to have the tendency toward it; to be naturally inclined toward a given thing; to be disposed to engage in a given activity; or to have an inclination of heart, mind, or will in the direction of a substance or interest. If I review my life, I am reminded that I have been prone to a few unhelpful, sometimes unholy things.

At about twelve I discovered that an uncle we visited on occasion had Playboy magazines in the wooden periodical holder that sat beside his recliner. Granted, Playboy in 1968 was really tame compared to the pornography of today, but even a girl in a sexy swimsuit or nightgown could get my juvenile heart pumping and hormones racing.

This gateway experience primed me for further bad behavior at the job I got at a local drug store when I was sixteen. I delivered prescriptions to shut-ins and helped restock the shelves. I liked the restocking part a lot, especially when the book and magazine vendors would leave old copies of smutty magazines and books up in the attic. On breaks or after work I could fill my mind and heart with lots of less-than-ideal thoughts. Prone to wander—yes, I feel it! I knew it was wrong the whole time. But my desire for the sexual stimulation easily, no contest, overrode any desire I might have had to be good.

But there is more than just the typical sexual stuff. I am bent toward repetitive, addictive athletic behavior too. For instance, I was instantly hooked the first time I hit a round ball with a round bat—squarely. The feeling is amazing. The ball seemed to jump off the bat. Same thing with golf—I swear I think I felt something primordial leap within me the first time I compressed a golf ball correctly, felt the sensation in my hands and arms, heard the distinct sound, and saw the beautiful sight of proper ball flight. My favorite pastime as a young teenager was shooting baskets in my driveway. The sound of the ball swishing through the net as I practiced free throws reverberated in me like the kick drum or bass guitar does at a loud concert. These activities called out to the addictive desires of my heart.

Prone to wander, yes, indeed I feel it. You probably do too. You could insert your stories in place of mine. But now I want you to know something I have experienced in the forty years since I was a teenager: prone to follow Jesus is possible too. The hymn I quoted at the beginning of this section tells how to begin: “Here’s my heart Lord, take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above.”

Getting up from the deadweight of the prone position takes some effort. But look up: see the outstretched, nail-scarred hands of Jesus reaching out to pull you up. Jesus and

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