Sometime ago we were eating dinner with some friends in their backyard. They had a blue light set up, and periodically we would hear a ZZZZZap sound buzzing in the night. We asked what it was.

“It’s the sound of bugs hitting a bug zapper. The light attracts them, they fly in and get zapped.”

It went on all night long-hundreds and hundreds of bugs. You would think that after a while the bugs would wise up. You would think they would observe that the tray underneath the light is littered with the bodies of impulsive relatives who went before them. You would think some thoughtful bug would say, “Whoa-wait a minute! I’m not going to just blindly follow my desires. I notice all my friends get drawn into this, but they never come back. I’m going to consider just how high a price I’m willing to pay for the experience of a close look at the beautiful big blue light.”

But no bug ever does this. Apparently they say to themselves, “I know what I’m doing. I’m strong enough, smart enough to handle this attraction without getting burned. I’m not going to pause for reflection-I’m a buzzzzzy guy.”

All night long it went on-zap, zap, zap.

Sometimes I wonder if we are any smarter. It may be that you have experienced the temptation that comes when life does not turn out the way you planned. Sin that at another point in your life you would have spurned instead begins to look attractive. Little rationalizations play themselves out in your mind.

Ortberg, John. If you Want to Walk on Water, you’ve got to Get Out of the Boat.. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 2001, p. 105-106.