I love the show Parks and Recreation. Hilarious? Yes. Inappropriate? Maybe. But I can’t help seeing valuable lessons in ridiculous shows sometimes.
One scene in particular struck me recently as incredibly profound.
Choose Wisely
For context, it’s Season 3, Episode 4 entitled, “Ron & Tammy: Part 2”
Ron Swanson, the hard nosed, unfriendly, old fashioned man’s man is once again tempted to join his ex-wife Tammy in an incredibly unhealthy relationship of lust and immaturity. He resists at first, then dives headfirst into Tammy’s temptations which send him spiraling downward in character and backwards in life.
Eventually, his friends hold an intervention for Ron in which they play him a pre-recorded video he created for just for this occasion. The video transcript is as follows.
“Hello Ron, It’s Ron. If you’re watching this it means that once again you have danced with the devil.
Right now you’re probably thinking, Tammy has changed, we’ll be happy together. But you’re only thinking that because she’s a monstrous parasite, who entered through your privates and lodged herself in your brain.
So you have two choices: One, get rid of Tammy or; Two, lobotomy and castration. Choose wisely… stupid *idiot*.”
You see, Ron understood what these moments did to him. He knew he was weak. He knew at some point, he would need to talk himself out of a situation in which he could not think clearly. It wasn’t enough for other people to tell him he was screwing up. It took he himself with this important reminder. If it wasn’t worth it last time, it won’t be worth it this time.
This moment struck me. Suddenly, it had nothing to do with Ron. It had nothing to do with Parks and Recreation. It had everything to do with you and me. Ron was onto something.
Ron’s Mistake is Our Mistake
While I love what Ron did, here’s where I think he went wrong.
Ron waited until after he was overtaken by his sin to receive this reminder. If this sounds familiar, it’s because I think we do the same thing. I think we all need this kind of pep talk every now and then because temptation can blind us. It can create apathy and regret because we have not kept the end in mind.
What if, in our fight against sin, we had the wherewithal to remind ourselves of the dangers and the let downs that lie ahead before we gave in? What would you say to yourself?
Think about the last time you did something you were not supposed to do.
If you don’t consider yourself a Christian, maybe it was something against your moral code. Maybe it was an activity you swore off because of a bad past experience, or an ethical dilemma you gave into for personal gain. Perhaps you compromised a value your parents had instilled in you from a very young age.
Somehow, for reasons that might not even make sense, you chose to ignore the small voice inside you that said “don’t do it”.
If you’re a Christian, the first thing you probably thought of was the last time you committed that sin that you had repented of many times before.
But something happens before we do these things. we’re forced to make a decision. I don’t need to know you to understand that, without a doubt, you have felt and encountered this experience we are all very familiar with; temptation.
Temptation’s Slippery Slope
Let’s be clear, temptation is not a sin. Being tempted by something is not the same as giving into it. In fact, temptation territory is where you still have the opportunity to do the right thing.
Temptation tells you that what you don’t have is actually something you need. It dresses up something ugly as something desirable. It seemingly changes that thing you don’t really want into something you suddenly cannot live without. Some light examples…
“I’m broke, but those shoes are cute and they probably won’t go on sale again…”
“I know I’m on a diet, but it’s the weekend and one more cupcake won’t matter.”
“I know I’ve got class in the morning, but it’s just one more episode. Oops, the next one started already. I guess I have to watch it.”
Somehow, temptation seems to remove us from reality and cause us to question something we know is true. That this thing we’re participating in is not good for us. But in our moments of weakness, rationale goes out the window. The thing you know is bad for you becomes something that isn’t that bad for you. The place you know you should not go becomes the place you just don’t have to stay for too long. And the person you know you’re attracted to at work becomes the person who really needs a shoulder to cry on. But we know better.
How about some more serious examples of our irrational inner dialogue…
“I don’t need to report this extra income. I pay enough in taxes already.”
“We get along better than my wife and I. Plus, God wants me to be happy, right?”
“Well, I really don’t like her anyway. Maybe I should keep the rumor going and add in the part people don’t know yet.”
“It’s just porn. It’s not hurting anyone and no one will ever find out.”
If these inner dialogues seem ridiculous, I think you need a more realistic idea of what’s going on in the hearts and minds of people around you.
Here’s how one biblical author describes the process of temptation.
“But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. (James 1:14-15)”
That definitely paints a darker picture of the results of temptation than we like to think about.
Every day we are faced with temptations people could laugh at and then some that could completely destroy our lives. So what do we do about them? I suggest asking a few important questions.
3 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Diving In
1) How could this ruin my life?
If people found out, how would your life be affected? Would you lose your job and destroy your reputation? Would your family leave you? Will the trust in your friendships be lost? There are a million ways one stupid decision can ruin your life. No one plans for it to happen, and everyone believes what they do in secret will stay a secret. Sadly, that is false.
2) How will this affect my relationship with God?
When I really know I’ve messed up, I want nothing more than to run from God. I feel loads of shame and guilt associated with breaking fellowship with him. I feel like I’ve let him down once again. You feel this too. You hate the way it feels, yet you keep forsaking the beauty of Christ for fleeting pleasures and instant gratification. But, it does not have to be this way. There is nothing like living with a clean conscience before God and others. Weigh out the cost. Remember the feeling of forsaking Christ for such worthless, empty substitutes. Does it compare?
3) Was it really worth it last time?
Did it actually make you feel any better to slander the person you dislike? Did the bottom of the bottle actually make your problems disappear? Was the sexual gratification as fulfilling as you thought it would be, or did it fail to keep it’s promise again? I know the answer. So do you. But if you don’t ask this question BEFORE you make the decision to dive in, it won’t matter when you’re caught up in the moment. That’s just how sin works. Remember, if it wasn’t worth it last time, it won’t be worth it this time.
Find Something Sweeter
I don’t want to definitively say there is one right way to fight sin. That would be ridiculous. But I can tell you that my own struggles have been less of a struggle when my eyes are set on Jesus. Sin looks a little less appetizing when I’m desiring something only He can give me; love, affection and relationship. No sin is worth hurting my reputation. No sin will every be worth losing my family. And no sin is important enough to break the heart of God.
Sin will promise us something it cannot deliver. But, Jesus can keep his promises. he promises never to leave you, nor forsake you when you are tempted.
Ironically, the sweet taste of Christ’s unconditional love has the power to drive me away from the things that will destroy me and draw me closer to His will. Somehow, it seems that knowing God will love me despite my sin actually causes me to turn to Him instead. Its almost like that’s how grace is supposed to work…
Always keep in mind the words of 1 John 2:1.
“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
Peace and Blessings,
@Chris_J_Scott
The Finish Line 