Parasites. Here’s what the CDC has to say:
“A parasite is an organism that lives on or in a host and gets its food from or at the expense of its host. Parasites can cause disease in humans. Some parasitic diseases are easily treated and some are not. The burden of these diseases often rests on communities in the tropics and subtropics, but parasitic infections also affect people in developed countries.”
Look at the word towards the end of the sentence highlighted in red-expense. It gets its food from or at the expense of its host. That means the host will decline in health, loose all senses, organs will soon collapse and its body will shut down; death is eminent. How does this apply to our lives, our marriages and our future? Simple, everything.
In our life, parasites take many forms, shapes and lengths of time to unfold. For example, an alcoholic parasite may take years before it shows the fatal results, pornographic parasites only takes weeks and/or months to show damage, drug parasites take only minutes to consume your life.. The list goes on and on yet the parasite, if not treated immediately and effectively, will cause death. For the sake of this blog however, I want to focus on marriages, how parasites slowly kill our relationships and marriages every year.
Parasites seep into your marriage in many different ways.
1) Pornography: Porn is an estimated 100 billion dollar industry worldwide. Just on the internet, porn earns 2.84 billion a year while worldwide industry produces about 4.9 billion. That’s just the internet, not magazines, pictures and other forms. 1 in 3 viewers are women while over 70% of men aged 18-24 visit porn sites in a typical month. Now those are just a few statistics about pornography as I want you to realize how rampant it is and dangerous. “It’s hurting noone, it only affects me and as long as I do it in my home in my bedroom, it’s no one’s business!” Right? Men, it will sneak up on you and tell you all kinds of lies and will ruin your marriage, respect and your home; essentially your life. Parasitic porn, that’s what it is.. It’ll suck the life right out of you, cost you more than you want to pay, keep you longer than you want to stay and take you further than you want to go.. Sound familiar?? Yea, sin.. That’s the result of sin and when you don’t grab a hold of it, stop it, clean it up and out of your life, then before you know it, it’ll cost you everything you’ve worked for and more. Christ tells us in Psalms 119:37-
“Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.”
Porn is worthless, addicting, degrading and a terrible door to open in your life. Gene McConnell is a recovering porn addict and I truly believe what he says is so true in today’s society.
“I believe pornography exists because we have a need for it. The reason porn exists is that we live empty lives. The issue is intimacy, our greatest need.”
Is that not the truth?
2.) Alcoholic Parasite: “I can quit any time. I only drink a few every now and then. I’m a social drinker, so it’s all good” Let me throw you some statistics:
88% of all people are lifetime users of alcohol, 1 out of 2 rapes and 1 out of 3 suicides are alcohol related.
50% of all home accidents and 53% of all traffic deaths are alcohol related.
39% of all marriages that ended in divorce stated alcohol was a contributing factor.
In other words, alcohol is a rampant and accepted part of our society with no regards to God and our own Christianity. The thing about alcohol is it takes the shape of that slow death parasite; sometimes working fast but usually takes its time. It starts off with social and only one or two but, it opens the door and keeps the door open for other sins in our life. When we never close that door completely, it allows other habits and hang-ups to invade our being and we soon begin to justify it like everything else. It eats you from the inside out, causing depression, aggravation, separation, anxiety and other issues. This in turn, becomes a parasite for your marriage, for your life and your career not to mention ruins everything you’ve worked for. Alcoholic parasite, ruin your life, marriage and everything you work for..
So how can we connect the dots? II Corinthians 5:17 says:
“Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away and behold, all things are become new.”
Proverbs 4:23: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
Finally, Ephesians 5:15-17 wraps it up about the parasites of our lives. What parasite has gripped your life and ruining your walk with God? What parasites are you hiding or you think is hidden, from others which is eating you from the inside out-destroying your life, marriage or relationships? Bring it to the light and allow the truth to be revealed so that your life can be set free from these parasites. Stop ruining your life and start living your life to the fullest and the way God intended.
“(15) Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, (16) making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. (17) Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”
Find the parasites and allow God to destroy them. Get rid of them because to answer the question-What are they good for?? Nothing..
