Perspectives: Of Steroids and Sin
By Brad Locke, guest columnis, OneNewsNow.com
Marion Jones will always be famous — well, maybe the better word now is infamous — and what good will it do her? Same goes for Mark McGwire. And Barry Bonds. Maybe Roger Clemens.
For Jones, the money’s gone. The accolades are gone. The prestige is gone. Her lies and deception have been revealed. All she’s left with is the shriveled remains of her pride, which wilted in the face of the inevitable consequences that are now visiting her.
This sad case is such a vivid illustration of what sin does to a person’s life. Sin promises glory and happiness, and it delivers — for a time, and in much smaller measure than expected. Jones was on top of the sports world when she captured three gold medals and two bronze at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. She was the All-American endorsement girl who made track and field relevant more than just once very four years.
Turns out, the once fastest woman alive couldn’t outrun her demons. As with any sin — and I’m sure we’ve all experienced this more than once — the more you justify it and feed it and protect it, the quicker and more viciously it will turn on you and devour your life. And we’re shocked that it would betray us that way.
We wonder, Where’s the promised payoff? Why has the sweet nectar that was on my tongue turned bitter in my throat? Why have I been stranded in this desert of despair and loneliness?
We have a hard time understanding, or maybe believing, the truth of self-condemnation (see Titus 3:11, Romans 7:5). Our actions, no matter how harmless they seem at the time, never exist in a moral vacuum. But it’s not just a matter of civil and criminal law exacting its justice. It’s much more complicated than that.
In the case of the late Ken Caminiti, abusing performance-enhancing drugs contributed to his death. Worse than that, though, was what that behavior did to his soul. Steroids eat away at the body and can ultimately destroy it, and sin does the same to one’s soul.
There is no escaping the punishment we bring upon ourselves when we constantly yield to sin. All the more reason for us to embrace the forgiveness and grace of God. Sin will forsake us, but He never will, no matter how long or how thoroughly we’ve rebelled.
Jones is at the bottom of the mountain from whence she tumbled. It’s my hope that while she’s down there, she finds the One who can move that mountain and restore her soul.
(Source: OneNewsNow.com)
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