orner “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age…” ( Titus 2:11-12) “Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.” — Epictetus There’s a small pause between hearing the lie and believing the lie. When someone or something tries to tell you, “You’re missing out,” grab that thought and stop for a moment. In this pause, there’s a choice to be made. King David was young, handsome, popular, and poetic. He had the wealth of a kingdom at his disposal, wives, and children filling his home. Everything in David’s life was going up, up, up. Then we get to 2 Samuel 11. In the season when kings went off to war, David stayed home. One evening, David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof, he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, ( 2 Samuel 11:2) Do you see the comma after beautiful — that one tiny comma? It’s exactly where verse 2 ends, and it’s exactly where the lie shows up. This comma is the pause between King David hearing the lie and deciding whether or not to believe it. It’s in this pause, after he sees the woman on the roof, when the lie whispers over and over, “You’re missing out, David.” and David sent someone to find out about her… ( 2 Samuel 11:3) The messenger comes back and tells David this woman is the daughter of a man David knows and the wife of one of His soldiers. God’s grace and guidance are all over this messenger, “Don’t buy into the lie. You’re not missing out.” Still, David believed the lie and the remainder of 2 Samuel shows the cost as David and several others around him paid its debt. David’s experience demonstrates how far a person may fall when he or she turns away from God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Although David repented of his sins and received God’s forgiveness, God did not eliminate the consequences. Likewise, a believer may commit terrible sins and then through godly sorrow and sincere repentance receive God’s grace and forgiveness. How can we resist the lie that we’re missing out? Remember that God has blessed us fully. Hearing the lie and believing the lie is not simultaneous. Look for the pause — the comma — and refuse to consume what the lie tries to feed you. Heavenly Father, the lust of my eyes is debt in disguise. I’ve been blinded by materialism, by my desire for something different — even someone else. Today I’ve learned Your boundaries are grace — a safety net knitted in love. When I hear the lie, speak truth to me. Please, please make me willing to hear that truth, pause and choose wisely. Amen.