Focus: Stop Hurting Yourself

Text: Mk.5:5

"And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and CUTTING HIMSELF with stones."

The mad man in our story was seen cutting or hurting himself with stones. While David used his stone to kill Goliath, the enemy of God's people, this mad man is seen using his own stone to cut himself. What a huge contrast! Let me ask you: the stone in your hand, what is it for? Is it for self-inflicted wounds or for Satan's destruction?

In what ways are you hurting yourself and others? Reflect deeply on this question.

Samson is another man who hurt himself terribly. He revealed the secret of his supernatural strength, and Delilah took advantage of it. The writer of Judges tells us that "the Philistines took him, and PUT OUT HIS EYES, and brought him down to Gaza, and BOUND him with fetters of brass; and he did GRIND in the PRISON HOUSE" - Judg.16:21. Samson lost his sight, his freedom, and his dignity. He was reduced to nothing and used for a sport. He hurt himself so badly.

I say by the authority of Scripture, that those who engage in hurting themselves are truly not in their right minds.

Judas also hurt himself. Be careful the thoughts you entertain or allow into your mind. John reports, "And supper being ended, the DEVIL having now PUT into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him...And after the sop SATAN entered into him" - Jh.13:2,27.

Satan gave Judas something to think about. He engaged him by handing him a proposal for a juicy business deal, an offer too good for him to refuse. The word 'put' in Greek is 'ballo,' meaning 'to throw,' or 'to cast.' It is the same word used as 'darts' in Eph.6:16. That means that Satan threw into Judas' heart a missile of thought, and Judas opened his heart to welcome the idea of betraying his master and trading Him for profit. Satan made him think in a certain direction, and when he saw that Judas welcomed the idea, the next thing was that Satan entered into him. And so the thought led to acceptance, and the acceptance led to a choice, the choice led to action, and ultimately, the action led to his self-destruction. Judas ruined himself with the help of Satan. Satan delights in helping people to ruin their own lives.

Back to our text, after the deliverance of the mad man, the people of the area came, "and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind" - Lk.8:35. His senses came back. His whole personality was restored.

Stop hurting yourself. Stop sowing the wrong seeds. We reap what we sow. The harvest of corruption awaits those who sow to the flesh.

Wrong thoughts hurt. Bad habits hurt. Bad attitudes hurt. Bad choices hurt. Wrong actions and ugly behaviors hurt. Greed, hate, unforgiving spirit, malice, envy, jealousy, worry, unbelief, drugs - they all hurt. It is madness to indulge in these things.

This one thing I know: Jesus will help you to quit hurting yourself. Open up to the Lord. Yield yourself to Him. Let Him take charge of your life. Amen.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter