Coming To A Store Near You

You may or may not know that I recently had a pretty bad cold, so I was in search of some medication to relieve my symptoms and I knew that I had to go to the pharmacy counter to get it.  It's been a practice for several years now, but I recently heard that a major drugstore chain in the Northeast is now requiring a photo ID for yet another commonly used product.  All of you ladies are really going to love the hassle that you will have to go through to purchase fingernail polish remover in the future.  That's right, fingernail polish remover is becoming a restricted item in our nation.  

When I realized this, of course, I asked myself why?  And to my surprise, I discovered that it is being used to help create illegal substances.  It is sad to say, but it is true that the illegal actions of just a few can cause restrictions to come upon many.   The law is not for the law abiding but for the lawbreaker.   If someone really wants something bad enough, they will figure out a way to make it happen or get around the existing restrictions and rules. 

Isn't this just like it has always has been?   It reminds me of what took place in Genesis 2 when God put a prohibition on consumption of fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The actions of few affected the many.  You see, I am convinced that when you misuse freedoms in minor areas it will have results leading to a greater loss of freedoms in major areas.  

While it is true that the Lord has given us Christians many liberties, He also told us not to use our liberties as a cloak for wrong intentions  (1 Peter 2:16).   While many people have never had any evil intention by trying to use such a product as nail polish remover, there are others who have gone to the extreme and found an otherwise harmless product to be helpful in causing great harm.  We as Christians can find ourselves in the same predicament.  Something that starts out seemingly not doing much harm can turn into harmful and sinful actions, if we begin to look at it from the perspective of meeting a desire in an area where God has placed clear restrictions.  It's when we feel like we are in a tight place, that we begin to compromise and seek out ways to violate our convictions and bend the rules to fit our desires.  

So the next time that you find yourself being tempted to compromise think about this statement.  You may lose a lot more than you gain and find yourself bound instead of free.  You may even find yourself having to pull out some kind of proof to let others know who you are in Christ because you've lost your identity.