JUST ONCE

Some years ago, I was told the story of a young lady who got pregnant when she was not supposed to. In order to save her face and her family name, she opted for an abortion (just once). In actual fact, that was the first and last pregnancy she aborted all through her life time because she is dead now.

The painful thing about this lady was that when she finally got married and settled down, she never conceived again. Despite all efforts, the babies refused to come. Remember that she had the abortion just once. But that first and last abortion cost her the opportunity of becoming a mother. Only God knew where the abortion took place and probably the doctor was a quack. Some things must have gone wrong but the harm had been done all the same.

Probably she was destined to have just one child but unknowingly, she used her two hands to destroy that precious gift with her eyes wide open. Just one abortion and she became barren for the rest of her life.

In the book of Galatians 5:9, Paul said, “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.” If you have ever put yeast in a flour mixture before, you will probably be able to comprehend how a little yeast would cause the whole flour mixture to rise. Remember that the yeast is just a little: that is what happens when we take a wrong step just once. At the beginning, you may not really see what is wrong, but with time, when the bubble begins to burst, that “just once” deed would have done more harm than expected.

Sometimes, we often forget who we are. We just forget that we are complete human beings who were made in the image and likeness of God. We tend to allow ourselves to be pushed around by those who should not push us around. We sometimes allow ungodly and unholy counsellors to direct our lives. We leave the main thing and chase shadows. In 2 Samuel 13, there is the story of an evil friend who succeeded in helping his friend to carry out his lustful desires. The Bible says that Amnon, the son of David loved his sister Tamar and wanted to have an affair with her. With this lust in his heart, he confided in his friend (an ungodly counsellor) who helped him to strategize. He was told to pretend that he was sick and the only person he wants by his side should be Tamar. He did that and succeeded in having an illicit affair with her. It was just once but it caused a lot of havoc in that family. In actual fact, Absalom never gave up until he succeeded in killing Amnon so as to avenge the death of his sister. Just that once cost him his life and that was the end of it.

How many thousands of people have had cause to become addicted to hard drug, alcohol etc. just because someone told them to try it just once? But that just once and first attempt turned out to be sour. The “just once” step gradually developed and in the end, it turned out to be a disaster. Why must anyone try to experiment with something evil because of pressure from a friend? Moreover who is that friend? I am sure the fellow has one head, two hands, two legs etc. just like you. Why must we, (living being that God has created and there is no one as complete as we are) succumb to pressure from a fellow human being and put our hands into sin just because someone said we should do it just once. Don't let us waste away our lives and future because of anything evil because we may end up perpetuating that evil act forever except God intervenes.

Taking a first step into any evil act is just like what Solomon said in Proverbs 20:17, “Bread of deceit is sweet to man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.” A first step in an evil act may be filled with deceitful belief of being smart, but the consequences in the nearest future would prove to the person that he or she was not smart after all. There is this pathetic story of a young guy whose friends began to castigate because he was not promiscuous. So, he decided to do it once in order to prove himself. But he got it wrong from the on set because when he wanted to take the just once step, he went to a brothel to meet with a whore. Before long, he contracted HIV/AIDS and that “just once” attempt in that evil act led to his destruction and later to his death.

“Just once”, when it is evil may lead to total destruction of a lifetime. We must begin to see ourselves as unique individuals who do not take irrational steps in our lives. When we take a negative step once because we want to please our friends, it may lead to our hurt, bring about endless pain and untold agony while our friends who led us into taking that evil step may just go free.

Let us know that we are special and not just tools that anybody can use and throw away. Look before you leap. Don't take a wrong step even for just once.