What's Your "Sindex"?

A guy goes to a psychiatrist seeking help. The therapist says, "I'll show you some pictures and you share the first thing that pops in your mind." He holds up a picture of a square. The man says, "I see an apartment window and inside there's a couple making love." The analyst holds up a circle. "That's a beach umbrella, and underneath, there's a couple making love." The shrink then shows him a triangle. "I see a tepee, and inside there's a couple making love." At that point the psychiatrist says, "We don't need to go any further. It's clear you're obsessed with sex." Appearing insulted, the man replied, "Me, obsessed with sex? You're the one showing the dirty pictures!"

Isn't it amazing how easily we can deceive ourselves? Our pride leads us into denial, minimization and victimization. Perhaps that's why God urges us, "You must warn each other every day, while it is still 'today,' so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God" (Hebrews 3:13). We all have blind spots; areas of weakness our pride won't allow us to acknowledge. That's why we need others to "warn" us. There's nothing more deceitful than sin. Satan operates on the basis of deceit and half-truth. He "dangles his bait" and lures us in, as we convince ourselves "It's not so bad."

A while back, People Magazine published a "Sindex", in which readers rated the severity of various sins. Not surprisingly, murder and child abuse ranked at the top. Parking in a handicapped spot far outpaced pre-marital sex and cutting in front of someone in line was deemed worse than divorce. (Source: Christianity Today, March, 2017)

The results aren't all that surprising-- they're simply a reflection of our times. Guard yourself against sin's deceitfulness. Trust in what God's word says, and don't allow the mores of culture to dictate your values. Live by God's "Sindex", and you'll probably save yourself a lot of trips to the psychiatrist.