Don’t tell me you haven’t looked. You know what I’m talking about—women wearing skin-tight yoga pants. It’s even big news.
Clothing maker Lululemon Athletica lost millions of dollars from investors a couple of years back when reports came out that they had to recall their yoga pants for being too sheer. Imagine being in the store and seeing a woman having to prove the knit is too thin! Apparently the company fixed the sheer problem, but leads me to think there’s more to this story than meets the eye.
Many times, temptation starts with the eyes, and where you look. In James 1:14-16, God reveals how sin starts with a look, and ends with destruction. “But each man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed. Then, when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin; and when sin is finished, it brings forth death.”
An example of this is Potiphar’s wife. In the story about Joseph in Genesis 39:7, she cast her eyes upon Joseph. Every day, her longing gaze at the handsome Joseph fueled her lustful desires, until one day she forced herself on Joseph, pulling him to bed. Fortunately, Joseph fled and avoided sin.
But the moral of the story is: Don’t be a lookie-lulu or else you will find yourself compromising yourself, your beliefs and your marriage.
And, there are consequences. God spoke through Jeremiah,”They were as fed horses in the morning; everyone neighed after his neighbor’s wife. Shall I not punish for these things? says the Lord” (Jer. 5:8-9).
Your gaze is important business to God. God’s man needs to fight for focus on Jesus and His plan for your life, not the yoga pants in front of you in line at the store.
The apostle Paul explained it this way in Philippians 3:14: “I press toward the goal (focus) to the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus”.
In other words, focus on what matters. Focus on Christ. If your gaze is pure, your mind remains pure. And you will be rewarded. Jesus said in Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
Here’s the bottom line: If you’re a lookie-lulu, then you’ve already committed adultery in your heart. In Matthew 5:28, Jesus says, “But I say to you that whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.”
It’s interesting that Jesus made these comments after addressing anger and disconnection in relationships in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5). Jesus then addresses obsessive desire in men. Makes sense that they come in this order.
Anger and contempt in relationships, or contemptible attitudes inside of the heart in any relationship, creates disconnection and unmet needs that inevitably draws people into the realm of fantasy.
It’s better to skip the fantasy and focus on the prize awaiting you.
If you, or a friend, is struggling with being a lookie-lulu, or sex or porn addiction, find godly men to hang out with, and stop looking at the yoga pants. There is a better way. God’s way.
Additional resources for men regarding sex and porn addiction are available HERE.
Kenny Luck is the president and founder of Every Man Ministries. As the former men’s pastor at Saddleback Church in California and current leadership pastor at Crossline Community Church, Kenny has found the proven way to improve men’s ministries around the world. Sleeping Giant is this blueprint, and gives men the tools they need to lead and understand their own men’s ministry. Watch Kenny’s teachings at everymanministries.com.
