Habits That Strangle

Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires. These evil desires lead to evil actions, and evil actions lead to death. James 1:14-15

In South America there grows a strange species of vine known as the matador. Roughly translated, the Spanish word matador means “killer,” and this little plant has certainly earned that name. The matador begins its life growing at the foot of a tree. At first it looks like a harmless little plant. But as it grows, the matador relentlessly winds its way around the tree and makes its way to the top, slowly strangling the tree. When the matador reaches the tree’s top, it sends forth a flower, as if it is crowning itself.

Many habits in men’s lives are very much like the matador. Left unchecked, any one of them can slowly entangle a man’s life and render him helpless. It usually starts slowly. A little lust here, a small indiscretion there, then a little white lie to hide the sin. Before he knows it, the man is strangled by the habit that once seemed so harmless.

I have never met a man who set out to ruin his life through a sinful habit. The man who loses his wife and family because of his addiction to pornography doesn’t do so on purpose. The man whose family no longer trusts him because of his anger and rage never put this on his goal sheet. And the man who depends on alcohol just to get him through the rigors of life didn’t decide ahead of time that it would be a good idea to become an alcoholic.

No, these habits form gradually, and they subtly entangle our lives. We are usually not even aware we have a problem until we have done significant damage to ourselves or to the ones we care about most. These consequences are like the matador’s flower—they bloom to our disgrace.

Is there some “vine” of a habit winding its way into your life right now? Ask God to identify it, cleanse you of it, and forgive you. Then prayerfully make it your purpose never to return to that habit again.

Jesus, point out the bad habits in my life that can strangle me.