The question

I received numerous e-mails concerning my WFTD about cussing the other day. Several of you preached to me and others consoled with me as you shared my problem. One guy told me that he had pretty much conquered the cussing problem, but his sin was looking at women, especially the area below their neck to their waist; in other words their boobs. Hmmm I asked, “Is that a sin? If so I am guilty of that one too and further I enjoy looking at a nice set of tanned legs and even a well formed rear end of the opposite sex now and then.” I told him I did not view that as a sin, rather as admiring God’s handiwork.

My wife and I are building a Tiki hut and we decided to go down to a local resort where they have a world famous Tiki bar to get some construction ideas. When we got there, they were in the midst of conducting a bikini contest. These scantily clad beauties had on bikinis that left little to the imagination and if they had not been very carefully strategically placed nothing would be left to the imagination. As it was there was not much left to wonder about anyway. My wife looked on in disgust as I stood there grinning from ear to ear; I honestly do not think she bought in to the “admiring God’s handiwork” theorem. I know that because she punched me in the side.

What is a red-blooded male to do when confronted with such a situation? My contention is that it is quite natural to react to this as one would react to any stimuli such as touching a hot flame or freezing cold pipe with your finger. It is an innate, knee jerk reaction to stand there as a deer caught in the headlights of an automobile dolefully staring at the pleasant and wonderful scenery and be glad you had the opportunity. My wife did not buy into that one either.

Finally I tried to shift the blame. Look these gals should not be dressing like that; they should show more discretion. Am I off the hook? Probably not. Even though I have found Scripture that confirms that thought; there is a ton of Scripture about not looking on someone of the opposite sex with lustful thoughts. Is it admiring God’s handiwork or lustful thoughts? That is the question.

Proverbs 11:22
Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout
is a beautiful woman who shows no
discretion.