By Deborah Rabern

Fatal outbreaks of E. coli and salmonella have turned ordinary moms like me into suspicious, spray-wielding, scrubbing maniacs. With the advent of contaminated tomatoes, lettuce, and peanut butter, not to mention mercury in fish, recalled pistachios, and mad cow disease, my trust in the food supply parallels my confidence in politicians. We take every evasive measure and precaution; then, say the blessing and depend on God to protect us if we eat any deadly thing.

If we consume tainted food and drink, we may endure symptoms ranging from diarrhea and vomiting to systemic damage leading to death. Once we ingest bacteria, symptoms are sure to follow. The law of natural consequences is as inevitable as gravity.

Whatever we take into our bodies or our minds has an undeniable impact. Clean, wholesome food supports good health and nutrition. Poison sickens our body and can kill us. What we feed our mind has the same result.

The first mother lingered too long and got too close to the forbidden fruit. She listened to a tempter's deception, and she became a victim of the law of unintended consequences. She just wanted a little experience, and the serpent convinced her to cross a boundary that cast her, her husband, and all of the succeeding generations out of Paradise.

When we get too intimate with a person or drug or drink and we fall for the lie that it's just this once and no one will know, we step onto a carousel that can hurl us out of control and into a universe we didn't intend to inhabit. A desire is just a thought that once conceived tends to grow, if it's nurtured. Once the yearning can't be constrained, sin is born. And sin doesn't stay small; it becomes a rampaging alien that dominates its host.

The truth of Ralph Waldo Emerson's axiom stands: "Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny."

The character played by Anthony Hopkins in The Wolfman uttered a chilling statement. He said trying to restrain the beast was a mistake, and he had decided to let the "beast run free." The beast brought death, destruction, and passed on a legacy of torment - the final result of unrepentant sin.

The Apostle Paul put it in simple language. Be careful how you live. Be wise. The world we live in is fraught with evil. Don't be foolish. Don't get drunk; it leads to carousing. Avoid every kind of evil. Rid yourself of rage, bitterness, anger, slander, and all kinds of malice.

Uncontrolled emotions feed our unhealthy impulses and lead us to self-indulgence, but we can safeguard against temptations. Mothers teach their children: don't talk to strangers. This advice is valid for those who want to protect their marriages. Private chats on the internet are risky. Posting intimate data is dangerous for everyone. Trolling the information superhighway without filters invites unwholesome stimulation. Pornography, the scourge of modern communication, has infiltrated our homes via cable, satellite and the internet. No longer does one have to venture into sleazy parts of town for a hit. It's at the convenient juncture of the sacred family unit and a prodigal heart.

Exposés divulge the moral impairment of many prominent leaders and celebrities. Admirable people have exchanged serene lives and sterling reputations for the deception of a tempter. The list of corruption seems endless - dalliances with male and female prostitutes, solicitation, double lives, substance abuse, influence pandering and other crimes. Emulating a living role model is a risky proposition. It may only be a matter of time before the image crumbles after public exposure reveals the truth beneath the facade.

Jesus said that the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. So, if you hear a person using profanity, telling coarse jokes, being deceptive, or slandering someone, their speech has unmasked them and provided a clue to their true character. If a married individual is seeking an emotional or "spiritual" connection between just the two of you, then you can discern their intentions are suspect.

Nothing is quite as appealing and seductive as something secret and off-limits. Unwholesome thoughts and desires are the one-time exception to the abortion taboo. Kill that idea before it can develop and overpower your best intentions. We all struggle against sin and temptation on some level. Control the beast. Don't let it run free.

The Lord warned Cain, "...sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it" (Genesis 4:7 NIV). We would do well to heed this warning. Jesus dealt with heart attitudes. He said the thought of lust equals the act. He talked about taking extreme measures to avoid sin. Jesus promised that the pure in heart would see God.

When Jesus walked the earth, He had a plan that those who come to Him would expand the Kingdom of God by spreading the good news of the Gospel. If we are to bear His light into the darkness that surrounds us, we must be people of purity. Our destiny is to see God.

Frodo (in The Lord of the Rings) was deemed worthy to carry the One Ring because he had a pure heart. However, the battles against evil forces, the length of his journey, and the burden of withstanding evil sapped his strength and wore away his resolve. Frodo reached his destination largely because of the fellowship of friends who fought for him, supported him and even carried him in the end.

Whatever destructive powers confront us - immorality, ambition, substance abuse, greed, or anger - we who have accepted Christ are friends of God. We have a Divine Fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as well as our fellow travelers in the faith. We can fight evil together, overcome the beast of sin, and in the end see God.

Deborah H. Rabern is a graduate of Georgia State University. She has spoken and taught in assorted venues including churches, parachurch organizations, federal prison and the public school system. In addition, she has been a spokesperson for the National Day of Prayer Committee (Cumberland, MD) and Tri-State Celebration (1999) during her employment with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.