In his book, Cross Ties Devotionals, Bill Denton recounts an old story that carries a powerful truth. It is the cautionary tale of a desert nomad who was reclining on his cot one night out in the middle of nowhere. He was inside his tent and it was very dark. He had a candle burning beside his bed that gave off just enough light to see his immediate surroundings. Presently, being hungry, he selected a date from his fruit bowl and bit into it.
When he did, however, he found a worm, or at least half of one. He lay the date aside and took another date from the bowl and bit into it. Once again, he discovered another worm. This troubled him greatly, as he was hungry, and especially as he liked the taste of the dates.
What should he do? He thought it over and came up with a solution. He leaned over and blew out the candle. Then, there in the darkness, he quickly ate the rest of the dates.
Wow! Imagine a man who was so driven by his desire for fruit that he willingly turned off the light so as not to see the danger his eating it posed. The lesson of this little parable is self-evident: we must be careful not to allow our appetites to rule our reason.
While this truth applies to everyone, it is especially relevant for Christians. We, above all people, must remember not to let our appetites overrule our convictions. And this is true whatever these appetites be - physical, emotional, financial, sexual, or any other type.
In short, what we believe must always determine how we behave, and not vice versa. We must be ruled by the standards of God’s Word, which do not change according to the vicissitudes and/or dictates of any given situation.
This means that whether we choose to acknowledge the morality (or lack thereof) of any given activity is irrelevant. What is relevant is what God’s Word has to say on the subject. In short, turning off the light to make the activity more palatable will not change the effect that our engaging in it will have on our souls. What it is, to be frank, is what it is.
Remember that the next time you are tempted to blow out the candle of conscience.
SOURCE: http://books.google.com/books?id=YluJa0AqoO8
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oQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=eating%20dates%20candle%20wor
ms&f=false.
When he did, however, he found a worm, or at least half of one. He lay the date aside and took another date from the bowl and bit into it. Once again, he discovered another worm. This troubled him greatly, as he was hungry, and especially as he liked the taste of the dates.
What should he do? He thought it over and came up with a solution. He leaned over and blew out the candle. Then, there in the darkness, he quickly ate the rest of the dates.
Wow! Imagine a man who was so driven by his desire for fruit that he willingly turned off the light so as not to see the danger his eating it posed. The lesson of this little parable is self-evident: we must be careful not to allow our appetites to rule our reason.
While this truth applies to everyone, it is especially relevant for Christians. We, above all people, must remember not to let our appetites overrule our convictions. And this is true whatever these appetites be - physical, emotional, financial, sexual, or any other type.
In short, what we believe must always determine how we behave, and not vice versa. We must be ruled by the standards of God’s Word, which do not change according to the vicissitudes and/or dictates of any given situation.
This means that whether we choose to acknowledge the morality (or lack thereof) of any given activity is irrelevant. What is relevant is what God’s Word has to say on the subject. In short, turning off the light to make the activity more palatable will not change the effect that our engaging in it will have on our souls. What it is, to be frank, is what it is.
Remember that the next time you are tempted to blow out the candle of conscience.
SOURCE: http://books.google.com/books?id=YluJa0AqoO8
C&pg=PA231&lpg=PA231&dq=eating+dates+candle+worms&
source=bl&ots=GxWAV7dAj-&sig=DfQ8vto0Tjcz_AaewL2ylKd
WgO0&hl=en&sa=X&ei=cTDsUeiiFYXm9gSok4DYBw&ved=0CC
oQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=eating%20dates%20candle%20wor
ms&f=false.