MOST of us are aware of the power of the spoken word, but do we ever consider the power of the unspoken thought? Jesus certainly did. “What I say to you is: anyone who looks lustfully at a woman has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt 5:28).
These are powerful or, rather, terrifying words because Jesus does not counteract them by pointing out that lustful thoughts have the potential to become sinful acts.
He is saying that unbridled sinful thoughts equate to sinful acts.
And Jesus’ words refer not only to our sexual attitudes, but to all sinful thoughts that we allow to harbour in our minds.
If we choose to allow anger against another to fester, He says, then we are just as liable to judgement as the person who physically commits murder (Matt 5:22).
So how are we to get through each day without violating most of the Ten Commandments by lunchtime?
God is well aware of our human imperfections, but He obviously doesn’t want us to lock ourselves in a cupboard or to walk around with a blindfold on. So how are we to avoid sinning, especially in our thoughts, when we live in a world where we are increasingly exposed to its temptations?
The answer lies in our choice to always remain vigilant of our thought processes.
Our spontaneous cerebral reaction to a given situation is not considered sin – that is merely an unfortunate consequence of our inherited humanity – however, our choice to entertain these thoughts is what leads us down the path of iniquity.
It may not be possible to avoid the driver who cut us off or the raunchy billboard, but we do have control of where we next allow our thoughts to wander.
We can either allow ourselves to freefall with the momentum of emotion that has been aroused within, or we can respond to the Divinely inspired words of St Paul who exhorts us to “… bring every thought into captivity to make it obedient to Christ” (2Cor 10:5).
That’s the beauty and the problem of free will … the choice belongs to us.