Influence of Sin
by Steve Popoola

Last week, I was shocked to read an Associated Press news item. A woman thought of all she could do to please her 16-year old son on his birthday so threw on a party for him. That doesn’t sound bad does it?

This loving, Tennessee mother was not satisfied with just throwing a birthday party for her boy, she felt she needed to do something more to spice up the party and make her son happy, so she decides to hires a stripper to dance at the ocassion!

Are you shocked? I bet you are, just like I was when I first read the story on the internet. It is encouraging to know that this irresponsible mother has since been arrested by the authorities and is currently facing criminal charges. She was arrested because she took photos at the party and attempted to have them developed at a drug store. Drug store employees saw the photos and informed the authorities.

I can almost hear you thinking, “What sort of a mother is this?” Yes, that was the same question I asked myself. There are also more questions to be asked about this sad incident. “What impact would such children have on other children especially their peers. You can be sure that this boy would have gone to school the next day feeling cool about the great party his mum threw for him. I am sure that he would give his friends who were not at the party graphic details of what they missed.

The absurdity of the whole thing is that this woman does not feel she has done anything wrong! Hear what she says after being charged, “I tried to do something better for my son, it didn’t hurt him. Who are they, to tell me what I can or can’t show to my son?”

The truth of the matter is that sin is terrible. It blinds the eyes of men to what is good so much so that we see good in something evil. This case is just one of the few cases where people believe their actions do not harm. This may have happened in America but it is definitey not American just like child trafficking and advanced fee fruad popularly known as "419" is not Nigerian, so also rape or car jacking is not South African. It is Sin, period.

As Christians, we need to maintain our sense of abhorrence for sin. Let us not get used to the sin which we see or hear around us. The moment we begin to get used to the sinfulness of others, we begin to lose focus and soon we may just find ourselves being swept by the current of the same sin we once abhorred.

May God forbid that happening to us

Then the evil desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully matured, brings forth death. (James 1:15)

Steve Popoola is the editor of Biblepraise Newsletter and the webmaster of Biblepraise Fellowship Online at http://www.biblepraise.org. British by birth, He currently resides in Lagos, Nigeria with wife Maris and their children, Praise, Stephanie and Precious. He works in the IT department of bank. Formerly an active singer, he still sings occasionally and speaks at invited forums. He presently serves as the Head of Books/Library in his local church. He is the Moderator/Editor of Biblepraise Newsletter. He can be reached through His email address, steve@biblepraise.org

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