Anyone who has ever cheated on his/her significant other can tell you how easy it is to fall to our "fleshly desires." They can tell you how the other person caught their eye, and then lured them into adulteress actions through their sweet talk, and juicy lips. And anyone who has ever been caught, can tell you about the bitter end, the end that destroys who they are, and forces them to either beg their spouse for forgiveness, or keep this horrible secret from them.

The problem with cheating, is that the effects aren't temporary. You go home, only to realize that you have been dishonest to the person you love, you have to look them in the eye and tell them you love them... knowing you weren't thinking of them when you cheated, but only yourself. Of course, there is also the risk of STDs, catching an infection and then transmitting it to your wife- punishing her when she did nothing wrong. And one of the greatest effects of this adultery, is losing the one you love very much... having her leave you because you couldn't control your own flesh.

I cannot tell you how many times I have heard, or seen the above story unfold, by someone who simply wasn't "strong enough." A person who let in a "one-night stand," and ruined their life.

I think Proverbs 5:3-4 doesn't just describe adultery, this particular sin... but I believe that it describes most of the sins we face today. Just like an adulteress, these sins catch our attention, and seem appealing to us. They grab at our sinful desires, and try to coax us and trap us by making us believe that we will enjoy ourselves. They sweet talk us into making excuses to follow through with the sin, filling our minds with grandeur ideas and fantasies.

And just like having an affair, the consequences are not temporary, but are life changing. The sins we give into hurt our relationship with God, and even change the view we hold of ourselves. At least until we start to become desensitized by our sins, guilt overwhelms us, and haunts us, as we remember how we have trespassed against God, and against those who love us.

Just like Adam eating the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:17), these seemingly harmless sins destroy what we have, and make us less than what we were intended to be.

It doesn't matter what the sin is, they all come as "luscious fruits," pleasing to the eye and to the sinful mind and heart... but in the end you get a worm infested apple, one that makes you sick and takes away the joy you previously had.

Today, when you are faced with a tough decision, think about the consequences... think about what the end result will be for yourself, your relationship with those who love you, and your relationship with God, and ask yourself if a "one-time sin," is worth a life-time of guilt.