Creepy Crawlers

From a man’s perspective, I would think that guys, for the most part, especially Type-A personalities, do not want to appear feeble, fragile, weak, or afraid of anything.

The word ‘macho’ is sometimes used to describe certain male figures.  I would venture to say that not too many males make a practice of touching or playing with any type of creepy crawler.  I choose to leave them alone and I want them to leave me alone.

In the beginning, God created man with a strong, physical makeup and having a mental disposition unlike the woman.  I believe it’s only natural for males to assume the role of protector and provider, because of their masculinity. 

Let us be real, underneath all that macho persona, often, things exist that men ignore, while hiding them in the recess shadows of their brain, preferring not to talk about them. I believe it is reasonable to say that the one big factor in men, they display an outward façade of manliness to not appear as overly sensitive or having feminine qualities.

Most men sidestep girlish emotions lest they are perceived as being a wuss or lacking manly characteristics.  Please, don’t assume or read into my words that I think women are physically or mentally inept—they are not!  From my viewpoint, they are certainly a helpmate to the male gender in decision making and other important areas.

Some guys live in a bubble that is full of pretense; a pretend reality to modify the truth to suit their mindset.  They want to be seen as brave.  I think the truth of the matter is this: men are sometimes discreet in nature, trying not to attract attention to the weaker areas they are hiding. 

Men do not want to be seen as being an easy mark to be taken advantage of in any way, shape, or form.    This is just my take on masculinity.

The following percentage is quite interesting.  52% of males experience Arachnophobia, a phobia of spiders and Ophidiophobia, a fear of snakes, which are common phobias.  The fear of snakes affects approximately 1 to 5 percent of the global population.  These phobias are usually a non-spoken reality with men, known only to their closest friends or family members.

The fear of spiders is more prevalent in women than men, but I can attest that these phobias are real in my circle of friends.  Some of the men I know are afraid of spiders, even daddy-long-legs. 

One of these guys was an M.P. (Military Police), physically toned and very strong.  I would say a tough character, yet he is vexed with phobias. 

In my late teens, I knew a fellow that if you teased him with a snake, even a non-venomous one, he would beat you to a pulp, because he was deathly afraid of creepy crawlers, especially “slithering reptiles” as he put it.

When I was a young kid growing up in the bedroom community of Martinez, California, one of my childhood buddies had no problem catching and playing with lizards when we were messing around in his backyard.  He had pet tarantulas, snakes, and other creepy crawlers in glass enclosures in his bedroom.

These critters were not in my wheelhouse for having fun.  They creeped me out and made my skin crawl even though my personality was Type-A.

The following creepy crawler was instrumental in bringing about a total mess on earth from the very beginning when God created man and woman in the Garden of Eden.  Humanity has been shackled with the ‘sin-nature’ that has plagued the world’s population since Adam and Eve sinned in the garden.

In their defiance, they ate the forbidden fruit that God commanded them not to eat nor touch.  Because of their shameful disobedience, we inherited an ungodly nature of sinning thanks to these self-centered ancestors.

Eve, the woman God gave to Adam, should have restrained her inner desires and walked away from the one tree that God exclaimed, “Do not eat the fruit!”  She obsessed over the fruit, while listening to the serpent that was more cunning than any beast in the field.  He tempted her to eat the fruit by telling her she would be like God, knowing good and evil.

Eve did the unthinkable when she refused to give credence to God’s warning and ate the fruit.  She then encouraged Adam to do likewise.  That creepy crawler was Satan himself, the deceiver that took on the form of a snake.

Later, when Eve was questioned by God concerning what she had done, she tried to blame the serpent for her disobedience.  God didn’t buy it!  He knew she was not blameless in the betrayal.  This senseless act of willful misbehavior was an out and out sin against God. 

Eve disregarded the consequences for her selfish, undisciplined act, and involving Adam.  She wanted her way, period.  God expelled them out of the Garden of Eden.

Humans, today, are suffering negative repercussions because of Adam and Eve’s sin.  One thing is certain, listening to Satan’s lies and doing what he tempts us to do destroys any chance of promoting forward motion to wholesome living.  Sin does not pay in the long run.

Adam and Eve’s fall is a good example and lesson for you and me to not sin when we know it’s wrong to do so in today’s radical environment of temptations.  It is wise to leave creepy crawlers alone—namely sin.

Why risk playing with sin, like people tempt fate when they handle creepy crawlers, only to get bitten as they play with venomous spiders, snakes, lizards, and other such critters? 

Before sinning, we should consider the consequences of our actions lest we die from the bites.  We need to remember that Satan’s venom is toxic and deadly if we choose to listen to his lies.  Nothing in the world is new since the beginning of time.  The devil is still slithering here and there seeking whom he may deceive and devour.

The ‘Adam-nature’ to sin is born into every human being, but we can resist the urge to sin through Jesus Christ and the born-again experience.  The ‘sin-nature’ was inherently transferred to us through heredity that sets the tone for our behavior, but as I said, we can change because of God’s amazing grace.

Mankind is inclined to do their own thing just like Adam and Eve.  It’s easy to disobey the 10-Commandments and the rule of law in the land, but there is hope in Jesus.  We don’t have to listen to the serpent and give into temptation when we stand in Christ.

Sadly, sinning comes naturally, but God provides a way of escape to those who are looking for deliverance—it’s God’s plan of salvation that is free to anyone wanting redemption from the plague of Adam and Eve’s sin.

Every person that sins can try to blame someone else for their misbehavior, or push it off on Adam and Eve’s as if it’s their fault for having uncontrollable urges to sin, but the truth is this: there is no excuse under heaven for turning one’s back on God and choosing corrupt behavior rather than wholesome living, when God has provided a plan of escape.

Every person is responsible for his or her own actions and will pay the price for their sins, but the answer to ‘new beginnings’ and how to ignore the creepy crawler that tempts us to sin is in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God.  He alone sets us free from the ‘sin-nature’, because He paid the full price for sin.

Jesus was crucified on a cross to set us free from the bondage and venomous bite of sin.  God gave His Son to provide salvation for whosoever will, but it is up to everyone to accept Jesus as the propitiation for sin or to reject God’s plan and die as a result.

(John 3:16), “For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” 

We need not fear Satan, the creepy crawler.  He is the evil one who wants company in hell and is hell-bent on deceiving us like he did Eve.  God gives us the power to tread on this serpent and cast him to the curb in the name of Jesus.

(1 John 4:18), “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment.  But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”

God gives us the insight and wherewithal to identify the creepy crawlers in our lives and to recognize all his disguises and turn away from them before we are deceived and bitten.

Today, people prefer to tempt fate rather than running in the opposite direction.  Even though they know something is bad and that they might get bitten, they go against the laws of God and against the rules of society.  They want to do their own thing just like Eve did in the garden.

Nothing has changed over time.  Satan’s creepy crawlers, the angels of darkness (fallen angels) are everywhere and hazardous to one’s physical and spiritual health.  Though something may seem harmless, it’s better to leave it alone than to die because of hardheadedness.

A person can either partake of sin and die or leave it alone and live through Jesus Christ our Savior.  Why play around with creepy crawlers that deceive, bite, and kill their hosts?

www.wordsfrompapa.blogspot.com

Written by,

Papa Boyd