It’s a wild beast, not a pet

I don’t believe in Bigfoot. I don’t believe in the Loch Ness Monster. I don’t believe in aliens. But as a resident of the state of Florida for nearly 40 years, I can tell you with absolute certainty … Florida Man is real. If you are unfamiliar with the term, a simple Google search would tell you that “Florida Man” is a humorous internet meme referring to news stories about people in Florida who engage in unusual or bizarre behavior, often with a focus on the absurdity of the situation. 

Outsiders would say we’re weird, but we like to think of ourselves as eccentric. One area where this eccentricity is on greatest display is pets. You can go to the local pet store and buy a wide variety of birds, reptiles, and rodents. With a permit you can own a bobcat, small monkey, or an alligator (if it’s under 4 feet). If you bought it before 1980, you could own a tiger!

I know what you’re thinking. “Why would anyone want to own a tiger?” I think the answer is pretty simple. Tiger cubs are cute. Who wouldn’t want to play with a baby tiger? How much fun would it be to have a tiny little tiger to cuddle and have sit in your lap? But there’s a glaring issue. Tigers grow. They must be fed, and with every meal they get bigger, until that cute little cub has grown into a full-size beast.

In 1980, Florida lawmakers determined (rightly) that tigers should not be owned due to the inherent dangers and wild nature of these animals. Sadly, there are stories of owners who were attacked and even killed by these types of “pets.” It doesn’t matter how hard you try to domesticate a wild animal, by nature it is wild. It’s wired to hunt and attack, and we should not be shocked when a tiger acts like a tiger.

Sin is the same way in the life of a believer. No one wakes up one day and decides he wants to destroy his life with sin. It always starts small. It’s a small sin that you can control. It’s a temptation you’re convinced you can handle. It’s a little secret that you think is cute. It’s not even hurting anyone. It starts with a click of the mouse, the sending of text, a conversation at a cubicle, or taking something small that no one seemed to miss. But temptation demands to be fed, and as you feed temptation the sin continues to grow. Then suddenly one day this beast of sin that you’ve been feeding devours everything you hold dear—your marriage, your family, your ministry, and your testimony.

It’s what God’s Word warns us about in James 1:14-15. “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” It’s a progression. Desire succumbs to temptation, temptation gives birth to sin, and sin brings destruction. Genesis 4:7 tells us that sin crouches at our door—like a tiger in the wild stalking its prey.

Sin is a beast to be slain, not a pet to be tamed.

There are no “pet” sins. Sin is not something to be tamed, trifled with, or trivialized. The Bible calls us to confess sin (1 John 1:9), to flee from sin (1 Corinthians 6:18), and to mortify sin (Colossians 3:5). 1 Peter 5:8 says the devil prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. We can never forget that we have a real enemy, and that enemy has a singular focus. He has come only to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10).

No one buys an exotic pet thinking it will attack him. No one flirts with temptation thinking it will consume him. Small sins have taken down great men. The Bible says explicitly that you can’t tame your sin. Don’t let Satan convince you that you can.