I woke up today like any other morning. I had no plans beyond whittling down what was typed up in To Do list, which at 41 items, it is what I liked to call "big boned!" As I set my day in order, I popped open Spotify for a little inspirational music—I dunno, something by Epic Score. In a freshly created Spotify account, yesterday, I listened to movie scores and epic trailer music. It's the sort of stuff that makes me feel I am on a grand adventure.

But, God chose for me to experience something different. When I opened Spotify, the first playlist it suggested to me was Black Voices in Alphabet+ Soup: Born this Way—something like that. Oh, for the love of Chef Boyardee! I dropped my head.

Now, I'll ignore the racism. I've listened to Polish, Czech, Scandinavian—can't say I've ever listened to White History Salute but Spotify nevertheless authors a black one. I'll chalk that one up to virtue signaling from Norwegians. That sort of thing is always divisive. And its undercurrent is always political; it's not about race. But, I digress.

When it comes to the Alphabet+ soup nonsense...*sigh*...it's like they need validation that a MAN dressing up like a WOMAN man is a healthy thing. "Hey, Buford: it's NOT." That we ignore there's a positive correlation to people in that and similar lifestyles and the childhood abuse they experienced. That we should raise our hands to the heavens and cheer on! "No, Bobby Ray, here's your can of Skoal back."

But, God drove home a point with me. In my exasperation at this once again being shoved into my face, He reminded me of my own sin. They've got a point: they are born that way. But, Chef Boyardee is not their father. They "belong to (their) father, the devil, and (they) want to carry out (their) father's desires" (John 8:44, NIV).

I read this today, Psalm 51:5:

Indeed, I was guilty when I was born;
I was sinful when my mother conceived me.

Yes, WE are born this way. We are sinners. Are we born to be murderers? It does not matter. If we are guilty of one sin, then we are guilty of it all, right?

And how can we boast in a lifestyle in sin? We should NEVER be proud of it!

Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or anyone practicing homosexuality, no thieves, greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God’s kingdom. And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

Sure, it can be easy to point out Jebediah Buck and say "That boy ain't right, shakin' atop that Ford in those feathers to Watermelon Crawl."

What about...

• Sexual immorality?
• Idolatry?
• Adultery?
• Theft?
• Greed?
• Drunk?
• Verbal abuse?
• Swindling?

Are we driving up to your neighborhood now?

The world DOES NOT like that talk. Phil Robertson, the Duck Commander, nearly got thrown outta his own show of Duck Dynasty by A&E for speaking that very passage, something that's been in the Bible for 2000 years.

So, there I was with my music streaming service. Well, I knew immediately I had to toss Spotify—that's automatic. But what about my takeaway? I won't be cookin' with Chef Boyardee—that's never been a problem. But what about those others things? Jesus sets a very high standard in Matthew 5:

You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.

"Uhh, about that Jesus..."

...and...

You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery. But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

"Oof, I'm gonna have to get back to you on that..."

THOSE ARE HARD! It's all a matter of heart! Motive! I was thinking, what can I do to mitigate this? Well, the text tells us:

If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell!

Clearly hyperbolic language. But, it highlights the authenticity and drive in which we need to respond to areas where we are the weakest. We should orchestrate proactive measures to prevent sin from outflanking us! Let's not put ourselves in a compromised position. Toss those things and take the trash out to the street! While they may be good in of themselves, they can lead us to be tainted by sin.

You know that whole Marie Kondo decluttering system with that mantra of "does this bring me joy?" Well, we know that sin steals our joy—robs us blind! As such, how can we declutter our lives from things that tend to promote sin so that we may fully experience joy?

Indeed, does this bring me joy? "Anybody need an eye? Just a touch of astigmatism."