There are two reasons why I don't skydive.

1. I don't get into airplanes. Period.

2. If I did momentarily lose my mind and actually get into an airplane, I certainly would not jump out of one!

[No, I don't have a fear of flying. I have a fear of CRASHING]

So, skydiving is out for me.

But, it's a very popular sport among mega thrill seekers.

Now, if you were to talk with folks who skydive, you'd find out that they all agree on one thing: the best part of the adventure is the "free fall."

From the moment they leap from the airplane, to the moment they pull the lever to open the parachute is known as "free falling." And that's the most fun of the experience. Enthusiasts will tell you once you've launched the parachute, the fun's over.

Now, imagine this: Imagine getting onto an airplane with a group of skydivers. And, as they each prepare to jump from the airplane, you notice that one of the jumpers TAKES OFF his parachute. And he jumps WITHOUT having a parachute on, simply because the "free fall" is the part he enjoys the most.

What now?

He's got a hard landing ahead of him, doesn't he?!

You know, that's what sin is like. It's like jumping out of an airplane without a parachute. It promises a "fun time" for a season, but there is a hard landing at the end of the fall.

Many people view sin in such a way. They see the IMMEDIATE gratification (the "free fall"), and they don't worry about what is going to happen when the fun stops and the hard ground rushes to meet them.

They enjoy the moment, never really considering what comes when the moment has passed and the consequences set in. They jump out of airplanes without a parachute.

I've seen it over and over and over again...

A man flirts with a co-worker, never realizing that within six months his family, business, reputation, friends and future will be gone because that flirting led to an affair.

A minister stumbles upon a pornography site on the internet and stays a few minutes out of "curiosity." In a short time, he has become an addict and his family and ministry are destroyed.

A teenager has a few drinks with his buddies on the weekend, never realizing that he'll die within a few hours in a tragic car accident because his driving was impaired more than he thought it was.

A woman shares a bit of gossip over the telephone with a friend never considering that the person she talked about will get so upset when she finds out that she'll commit suicide, leaving behind two small children who no longer have a mommy.

And those are just a few examples of the hundreds, even thousands, of ways that sin promises an enjoyable "free fall" but leaves you crashing into the ground when the consequences rush upward to meet you.

Friend, let me share a truth with you: sin NEVER comes with a parachute. There is no safety net. There is no padded landing. You simply don't "get away" with sin.

There is always a hard landing ahead.

Always.

Sin never comes without consequences.

Today, let us consider what we say and do very carefully.

I don't like the idea of jumping out of airplanes.

But, even more than that...

...I don't like the idea of jumping out of God's will.

This devotional was written by Jimmy D. Brown and reprinted by permission.
©2003 Jimmy D. Brown.

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