Satan’s Carousel
“Lust gets pregnant, and has a
baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer.” James 1:15
As a kid, few places
could rival the local playground as a cheap form of fun. After all, while Disneyland
had the big rides, an economical substitute stood in most our neighborhoods
including monkey bars, slides, and hopscotch patterns. But few could compare to the thrill of the
carousel. You remember the circular, steel apparatus with the sloping bars
ascending to the outside.
The circular spinning
wheel always sat enticingly in the middle of the play yard always inviting you
to a “kid-like” rush. The pattern
always followed the same diagram. Get on
the middle of the wheel. A spinner gladly steps up to attempt to “spin the wheel”
like Pat Sajak on Performance Enhancing Drugs.
You knew the rush and the risk of jumping onto the ride. It provided an
apt analogy for life. Whether drugs, sex, pornography, pride, alcohol, anger,
or anything else, the results are inevitable and pain will follow. Hop, hold,
help, and hurt.
As years have passed,
I have found the carousel a fitting picture of the enemy’s method of destroying
our lives whatever the enticement of sin may be. Stay with me here. Once you get on the enemy’s wheel, the devil
himself is all to happy to be the Sinister Spinner who shows no mercy once you
are on board. The pattern is always the
same as to what brings our life the most harm, which I will give in an A, B, C,
D pattern:
1.
A-Allurement: Level 1 is the “Start the spinning” stage. Like the
carousel, we are first drawn to
something that looks so fun and innocent.
Calls of
“go faster” are our response. Just as
device caused us to step up
to the
middle, the enemy will use methods to get us promising thrills
galore
whether drugs, sex, pornography, finances, and many other lusts of
life. The
enemy then starts the rotation…slowly at first, but then building to
a stronger
speed.
2.
B-Balance: Level
2 is the “This-is-a-little-more-than-I-thought” stage.
At this
point, just like your playground ride, the challenge moves from the
fun of the
twirl to the potential to “hurl.” At
this point, the ride moves from
celebration to consternation as you have
slipped from the center in control
To the
peripheral bars on the outside of it.
The grip becomes tighter and
the agenda
to keep balance. This is the balance
stage where you know
something is starting to go awry.
3.
C-Crisis: Level 3 is the “Screaming-to-stop” stage.
By now, it is evident that the dream is becoming a nightmare. It becomes that the spinner is now “foe not
friend.” The enemy shows no mercy and
isn’t about to “let you off the hook” as he has you exactly where he wants
you.
4.
As the one who wants to “kill, steal and
destroy,” your utter demise is his ultimate aim.
5.
D-Devastation:
Level
4 is the “Crash-Landing” stage. You know the result. As on the playground carousel, Satan’s
carousel is going to throw you off toward a painful end whether it is into a
tree or a telephone pole. The end is
never good. The body (and heart) go
tumbling and rumbling toward physical, emotional and relational demise. Play out the situation in any direction and
the results will always be the same. Addictions, bankruptcy, divorce,
bitterness, STD’s, suicide, wounded lives, out of control living, and even
death.
In Judges 14-16,
Samson was a textbook case of the “Carousel.”
He lived for thrills, found his life beginning to move out of control,
moved toward panic, and finally the destruction that followed. It’s always the same and none are exempt.
He partied, he lost his poise, he panicked, and he experienced the pain.
In our anything-goes,
free-spirited, age of enlightenment, and casual sex world, we somehow think
that these things don’t apply to us. But
the laws can never be revoked…what you sow is what you reap. And the enemy is more than happy to help the
process along, as long as it leads to pain in your life and that of your
Heavenly Father. The best way he gets at
God is get the best of His children. To him, the sooner he can get you on his
ride, whatever form that might be, the faster He can send you into a free-fall
frenzy.
James 1:15 says, ““Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to
adulthood, and becomes a real killer.” Just like the carousel, the apostle
understood the pattern of the carousel…the allurement, the balance, the crisis,
and the destruction. But the answer lies
a few verses ahead when James says, “If
you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll
get His help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it.” Translation, He’ll stop the sinister spinner
and give you understanding on which apparatus’ and rides you might want to get
on and which ones you might want to avoid.
In essence, that is the thrill
of the Christian life. The Holy Spirit guiding us
to true life and keeping us from destruction.
While carousels and merry-go-rounds are great in the park and at theme
parks, it’s best we avoid them in life… especially when hell’s spinner is standing
by to throw you off. Better still, you
might want to stay in God’s playground.
You’ll find life much more safe and secure.
Terry
Risser
Reflection:
1) What allurement in your life has
ultimately moved you spinning out of control?
2) How can you ask God’s wisdom to
avoid the carousel you are on or could potentially get on?
Consider reading the Word today:
Copyright
2014 - Terry Risser
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