The Attitude of Intent… – Sunday, October 11, 1959
We have read somewhere in some rules of safety the following sentence: “Never point a gun at anything you don’t intend to shoot.” This is basic to a whole series of parallel precautions essentially summarized in this single short sentence: “Don’t start what you shouldn’t do.”
It applies to habits, to projects and promises, to attitudes and obligations, to every threat, to every temptation, and to every intent.
The assumption that we can go a little way in the wrong way, that we can sin a little, lie a little, break the law a little; that we can be a little unfaithful, a little dishonest; or that we can start many things and stop them any time we want to, whenever and wherever we want to, without involvement, without hurt or harm, without falsely encouraging others, without being misunderstood, without the danger of going farther than we intended to go, is a false and unsafe assumption.
Those who find themselves in serious or embarrassing situations frequently say they didn’t intend to do what they did. And often it is true that they didn’t intend to go so far. But what is often also true is that they did entertain the idea, or they did take the first step: they did make the problem possible.
Like the man who points the gun, they assumed the attitude of intent. Starting is so often easier than stopping. Habits are so often easier to acquire than they are to set aside.
Relationships are often easier to begin than to break off. And we save ourselves much embarrassment, much explanation, much heartache, much danger, much tragedy if we simply don’t start what we shouldn’t do.
No one should flaunt any convention, or invite any flirtation, or tempt any temptation, or begin a habit he wouldn’t permanently want to have or begin any relationship of life that would be unsafe or unsavory or unwise to follow through.
There is some scripture on the subject which says: “Abstain from all appearance of evil.”1
This also could be cited: “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”2
This all points up to the attitude of intent. Don’t threaten anything you shouldn’t follow through. Even would we say: Don’t think to do anything you shouldn’t do.
Avoid not only the appearance of evil, but all invitation to it. In short, avoid the very attitude of intent. If you shouldn’t, just don’t do it.
1 I Thessalonians 5:22
2 Proverbs 23:7
October 11, 1959
Broadcast Number 1,573