The monsters we create and feed

In the movie “Jurassic Park,” the wealthy John Hammond spared no expense in extracting dinosaur blood from mosquitoes long ago trapped in fossilized tree sap. I know it sounds far-fetched and actually is, but we flooded to the movie theaters, stood in the rain for tickets and spent over $1 billion that year alone to see the monsters on screen. They created monsters they thought they could control but soon found out they could not. Before the park could open, animals escaped, lives were threatened, and people were eaten alive.

This movie has great warning for us today. If we apply the basic teaching from the movie to our lives and ask ourselves, what monsters are we creating and then having to feed? Let’s take a look at Israel’s second king, David. In the book of 2 Samuel chapter 11, David sends his warriors off to battle. We are told in verse 1 that kings were supposed to go as well. There’s a lot that is told and silently being said in verses 1 and 2 as we find that, while David stayed behind, a strikingly attractive lady who the Bible describes as “very beautiful,” was observed by the king while she was bathing. He sent for her, knowing she was the wife of his friend and warrior, Uriah. David slept with his friend’s wife, and she became pregnant. David tried to cover his tracks by bringing Uriah home from the front lines in hopes that he would sleep with his wife, thus the baby would be thought to be his instead of the king’s. None of his attempts worked. Eventually, David had his friend killed in battle to cover his great sin.

When our desire to create a monster is larger than our reason not to, then we have to build a bigger lie than the monster we just created. David had to keep creating a bigger lie until someone died.

David created a world where he alone held all power. He had sent everyone away. He was free to do whatever he felt was right for him. The king also created a world where he was the authority without accountability. He unknowingly became seduced by the very monster he created. David seduced another man’s wife only after he became seduced himself by the very monster he created.

David is not much different than each of us. We can easily create monsters we have to keep feeding. He could have said “no” to his desire. There was no monster yet created with the first glimpse from the rooftop. He conceded to his desire to commit this great sin and acted upon the authority of his own judgement.

James 1:14 tells us that each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Sometimes, I think we create a monster, quickly find that we want out of our new deal but find ourselves having to feed what we created. We’re quick to pass blame for our monster, and God is a lot of times the recipient when James 1:14 clearly teaches that it is us.

So how do we stop feeding this monster? First of all, we have to stop believing the lie that a lot will kill you but a little won’t and realize small concessions pave the way for large defeats. We also need to realize that if the monster we create has to be fed, then it also will starve to death if it’s not. Pride is a large part of this diet, and the more we serve Christ and others the more it will starve.

Let’s hang out together this Sunday at Christpoint Church. We’re on Liberty Square, in Sparta, and have three service options. We would love to see you soon. We’re real people, living real lives, serving a real God. Welcome home.