Fresh Start Devotionals

Sexual Fidelity Air Force Lt. Kelly Flings made headlines when she became the Nation’s first female B-52 bomber pilot. She later made the headlines again, but this time she was in trouble. She did not wreck her plane or sell military secrets to the enemy, she was in trouble because she had sex out of wedlock. She was facing a possible dishonorable discharge, loss of pay and a prison sentence for her crime. Flings read the writing on the wall and offered to resign her commission if the Air Force would give her an honorable discharge. They did not accept her offer. Instead, they gave her a general discharge. In the civilian world, we probably would not even bother gossiping about someone having an affair with a married man, but the military takes adultery very seriously, they consider it a crime. The military believes the immoral behavior is harmful to morale, order and discipline. When I was in high school, a friend of mine had a subscription to Playboy magazine paid for by his parents. Though Christians, they wanted him to be comfortable with his sexuality. Some Christian parents have “the talk” with their kids and say: “be sure to use a condom if you are going to do it.” The military is right, immorality does destroy morale, order and discipline. Can you name a single family that is better off because of premarital sex or an extramarital affair? Sexual indiscretions shatter love, destroy trust and ruin morale. If the Air Force is right, why does the news reports about the court martial proceedings seem so strange? Why would they be willing to lose a talented fighter pilot whose training cost them more than a million dollars? Are we more accepting of society’s morals than of Biblical mandates? Times may have changed, but the scripture says: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8) Do you have the courage to teach your children, by your example and your words, to follow the teachings of Exodus 20:14, Thou shalt not commit adultery? Take a moment to pray for the sexual fidelity of your family. Pray for God to build a hedge of protection around them. Perhaps this cancer has already infested your family, if so, pray for the ability to forgive and be forgiven. Jim L. Wilson, Fresh Start Devotionals (Fresno, CA: Willow City Press, 2009).