13 Ways To Ruin Your Life

I mentioned this book, 13 Ways To Ruin Your Life, a couple of blogs ago, and decided to blog about it this evening. I was on a Christian news site a few weeks ago, and they had a blurb about the book and author, Jarrod Jones. The book sounded worth checking out, and I found there is a free download of the book here. I downloaded it, and thought it was well worth the read - even if I had had to pay for it. By the way, the only catch to get the free download is you have to give email addresses and names of 2 friends, and they are sent an offer to download the book also.

The book is on sexual purity, and is geared more for men than women, though a woman could benefit from reading it also. The book isn't just a boring manual on what not to do, it is often humorous and has some really good advice. The whole book is based on the 7th chapter of Proverbs. The author covers sexual temptation & lust, pornography, and other areas. I won't go into a lot of detail, but will briefly mention each point, and comment on some of them. You can read the book if you want to know more. :-)

I personally think some of these could apply to any temptation or struggle we face, so even if you don't read the book, take the 13 ways with you. Each one is a chapter in the book.

1) Be unresolved - doesn't really need an explanation, but resolve or determination is more than half the battle

2) Flirt with temptation - too many of us do this. It can even go into non-sinful areas - if you don't have money to buy that car, don't go into the car sales lot. :-)

3) Feel you're in control - yet another point to be made about any sin. All too often, we think we can stop, that we are in control, but the opposite is true. We are controlled by our sin.

4) Believe no one will know - be sure your sin will find you out. Need I say more?

5) Take just one more look - actually could be one more anything - one more cigarette, one more lie.........

6) Act without thinking

7) Think you're the exception - think that though it has taken down others, that you can handle it, and it will be different

8) Learn by experience - I think all too many kids raised in the church go for this one. They think they have to experience sin, and will come back to the church after they sow their wild oats, but it doesn't usually go that way

9) Live in denial - problem? Me? You gotta be kidding!

10) Deny the obvious

11) Be Gullible

12) Make excuses

13) Get hardened to God's truth

Sexual temptation is every where. The internet, walking down the street. You can't get away from it. I think even people who think they have no problem, should read a book like this once in a while. I know the author hit me on a few points. He made an interesting point I will pass on - don't want to quote too much of the book and be guilty of plagiarizing. :-) He talked about a couple of godly men he personally knew who fell morally. In looking back, he remembered that these men had been a little too casual in talking about sexual matters, joking about it, etc, and wonders if that was a sign that he could have picked up on and warned them.

I think we all need to be more careful of how we talk, what we let our eyes and minds dwell on. Anyway, read the book. It will do you good.