Articles
Just Once More
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Samson said to them, “Since you would do a thing like this, I will surely take revenge on you, and after that I will cease.” (Judg. 15:7)
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The story of Samson and the Philistines offers a lesson in the destructive effects of revenge. Trying to get even with those who wrong us never ends well.
But there is another message in this story that deserves a closer look. Notice Samson's final words: “after that I will cease.” Samson convinced himself that with just one more act of retaliation the score would be settled and the violence would stop. Of course, the violence didn’t stop. Both parties were so determined to get in the last blow that their back-and-forth war of retribution continued until all were killed in a final showdown.
"After that I will cease" is how every addict justifies his behavior. Just one more cigarette then I will quit smoking. Just one more quarter in the slot machine then I’ll quit gambling. Just one more peek at that favorite porn website, “and after that I will cease.” We convince ourselves that we don't have a problem; we can quit anytime we want. But the addiction never ceases. “Just once more” is followed by another “just once more,“ then another and another, and soon the addict is "caught in the cords of his sin" (Prov. 5:22)--the prisoner of a vice he knows is destroying him.
Is there any solution to this cycle of addiction? Yes, but it begins at a much deeper level than the mere behavior itself. Both Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount and Paul in several of his epistles address the source of the problem and the key to overcoming it. It requires a change of heart, a new spirit or attitude toward God, life, and others. Murder is wrong, but so is the boiling rage in the heart that leads to killing (Matt. 5:21-26). Adultery is a sin, but it arises from a heart that feeds on lust (Matt. 5:27-30). Stealing is a criminal act that can be stopped only by viewing people as objects of compassion rather than potential victims (Eph. 4:28). Cursing is a terrible habit that can be cured only by a heart that is motivated by a spirit of thankfulness (Eph. 4:29; 5:4).
When we catch ourselves excusing bad behavior with some version of "just once more, and after that I will cease," we need to step back and realize what we're saying. First, we are admitting that what we are doing is WRONG; we know we shouldn't be doing it. More importantly, we are admitting the need for an attitude adjustment. We need to beg God's help in renewing a heart that has grown comfortable with sin, rather than hating it.
Until we turn our "just once more" into "no more!", we'll never make progress in conquering our sin problem.
--David
