Guard Your Heart

Received today from a missionary:

Dear Friends,

It is with sadness of heart that I write to you today. Last Monday (January 9th) I resigned as a missionary with ____ and have now returned to my mother's home in _________.

I felt that it was necessary to resign due to a series of bad decisions that I made that led me into grave sinful practices. Even though I kept in regular contact with other christian workers, I effectively hid it from them all.

Starting on December 31st, a series of events began that led to me realizing the need to confess my sin. I want to ask each of you to please forgive me for violating your trust.

Please pray for me as my life is very dark at this time.

Sincerely,

Four lessons I see:

• Do I pray for the spiritual health of my missionary friends, or just for their work?
• Do I think I'm invincible, that "it will never happen to me"?  As Paul said, "Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall."  (1 Cor. 10:12)
• Do I pursue relationships with people who will know me well and ask me hard questions?
• Perhaps most importantly, am I treasuring anything in my life more than Jesus?  All falls into public sin begin with private wandering of affections.

I want a principle within of watchful, godly fear,
A sensibility of sin, a pain to feel it near.
I want the first approach to feel of pride or wrong desire,
To catch the wandering of my will, and quench the kindling fire.

From Thee that I no more may stray, no more Thy goodness grieve,
Grant me the filial awe, I pray, the tender conscience give.
Quick as the apple of an eye, O God, my conscience make;
Awake my soul when sin is nigh, and keep it still awake.

Almighty God of truth and love, to me Thy power impart;
The mountain from my soul remove, the hardness from my heart.
O may the least omission pain my reawakened soul,
And drive me to that blood again, which makes the wounded whole.

(Charles Wesley)