BEWARE THE 3 D’S



















“Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

There are quite a few things that weigh down our hearts and Jesus warns us about three of them in particular: dissipation, drunkenness, and the worries of life — or despair. Anybody who has experienced these knows how heavily burdened the heart becomes, and consequently, how vulnerable to attacks from the enemy. Let’s examine them in turn. The first is dissipation. Dissipation is an overindulgence in sensual pleasures, and while sexual excess is the first thing that undoubtedly comes to mind, this can be anything that appeals to the senses. Have you ever over-eaten at a party where the food is good and in abundance? One cannot think of anything after that except perhaps sleeping.

 

The second thing that Jesus warns against is drunkenness. Despite whatever passages from Scripture we might use to justify drinking, including the famous miracle of turning water into wine at the wedding at Cana, Scripture is very clear about the dangers of drunkenness. Paul goes so far as to say of drunkenness: “I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:21). Anyone who has tried to lead a holy life, knows it is difficult at the best of times. When we drink, our defenses automatically go down, and we become easy prey to the enemy. 

 

And the third thing Jesus cautions about is despair. We tend to worry about stuff, but to paraphrase Jesus: “What’s the point or worrying? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?” (see Luke 12:25). Jesus tells us so many times that it is the pagans who worry about these things, but the believer never should because God is there by his side. When we start to worry, we take our eyes off Jesus and start to feel overwhelmed by our troubles, and this eventually leads into despair and puts us right where the enemy wants us.

 

Consequently, whenever we engage in — or experience — dissipation, drunkenness, and despair, the enemy can mess with our hearts and minds very easily. When this happens, we start to do his bidding rather than the will of God, and end up jeopardizing our salvation. Therefore Jesus says, “Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place” (Luke 21:36). If we do these two things — one, be alert; two, pray for strength — we will emerge victorious, and be honored by Jesus at the Final Judgement.

 

So, watch out for those three D’s!

 

Watch a video of this reflection by Aneel Aranha here: https://youtu.be/4kB-gh_SaO4

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