Push the Clock Forward

Read

Galatians 6:7 “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”

Think

Sin always shows you the thrill but never the price tag. It hands you a moment that feels electric, and then hides the wreckage it will leave behind. That’s why one of the most powerful things you can do in the face of temptation is this: push the clock forward.

What looks like harmless flirtation now will feel very different when you’re trying to rebuild trust. What seems like emotional safety in someone else's attention now will feel hollow when your marriage is hanging by a thread. What feels like passion in secret will turn to silence in the light.

Galatians reminds us that we will reap what we sow. The seeds you plant in private will grow roots. And eventually, they will bear fruit. It might take weeks, or months, or years—but the harvest always comes. That’s not God being harsh. That’s God being honest.

Think about it this way: if you could fast forward your life six months, would you be proud of where this moment leads? If you followed that text message all the way to its end, if you let your thoughts grow into actions, if you opened the door just a little wider—would you like where it takes you?

Temptation makes everything look smaller than it is. It whispers, “It’s just lunch.” “It’s just talking.” “It’s just harmless.” But nothing is ever just anything when it starts to divide your heart. It always moves. It always grows. And if it’s not stopped, it eventually explodes.

Imagine you’re watching a movie. A couple makes a choice to step outside their marriage. The music swells. It’s all passion and intensity. But what if the scene didn’t fade to black? What if the next scenes kept rolling? What if you saw the tears of their children? The spouse sitting alone. The bank accounts being split. The confusion in their friends’ eyes. The late nights filled with regret. Would it still feel romantic? Probably not.

But when you’re in the moment, you don’t see those things. That’s why pushing the clock forward is a spiritual discipline. It reminds you that the moment isn’t all there is. It forces you to picture the fallout before it happens.

A man once said, “I didn’t fall into adultery. I slid into it, one decision at a time.” That’s how it works. A conversation becomes a connection. A connection becomes secrecy. Secrecy becomes justification. And justification becomes action. Every moment of compromise has a future. The question is, will it be a future you’re proud of?

Adultery doesn't start with betrayal. It starts with blindness. You convince yourself you’re different. Smarter. Stronger. You think no one will find out. That you're in control. That it's a small escape, not a big problem.

But Scripture doesn’t speak lightly about this. Proverbs says that the one who commits adultery "lacks sense" and “destroys himself.” That sounds harsh, until you’ve watched a marriage collapse. Until you’ve seen kids try to understand why Dad left. Until you’ve sat with someone trying to put their life back together after the person they trusted most walked away.

Adultery doesn’t just break a rule. It breaks hearts. And often, it doesn’t only affect the guilty—it wounds everyone around them.

Maybe you're on the edge of a decision right now. You haven’t acted, but you're entertaining the idea. The text thread is getting longer. The eye contact lingers. The conversations go deeper than they should. If you're honest, you're flirting with a line you know you shouldn't cross. Now is the time to push the clock forward.

Imagine the fallout. Not to paralyze you with fear, but to wake you up to reality. Envision what it would feel like to look your spouse in the eye and confess. Think about the look on your child’s face if they knew. Picture your spiritual influence—your witness—collapsing under the weight of your secret. Imagine what it would feel like to start over, not with passion, but with shame.

The enemy will never show you that part. He’ll keep floating the bait past your line, promising pleasure without cost. But Satan doesn’t practice catch and release. He hooks you to destroy you. He’ll tell you you’re missing out, all while setting you up for loss.

But God offers another way. He gives the command not to crush your freedom, but to preserve your joy. He knows that covenant faithfulness leads to deeper intimacy. He knows that what you water will grow. If you invest in your marriage, pursue your spouse, tell the truth, fight for purity—it may be hard, but the fruit is worth it.

And if you’ve already crossed a line, there is still hope. But even then, part of healing is counting the cost. Letting the weight of your decisions sober you, not to shame you, but to drive you to grace. God’s forgiveness is real. Restoration is possible. But the path starts with truth.

Wherever you are today, do not believe the lie that this won’t matter. That it’s just a moment. That no one will ever know. God knows. And he loves you enough to say, “Stop now, before the consequences multiply.” Push the clock forward. Then ask yourself if it’s really worth it.

Apply

Think about where temptation is showing up in your life. Is it subtle? Emotional? Secretive? Push the clock forward. Ask God to help you imagine the outcome of compromise—not just in fantasy, but in reality. Then ask him for the strength to stop before it grows. Your future self will thank you.

Pray

God, help me see the full picture, not just the edited highlight reel of temptation. Let me count the cost before I make the compromise. Give me clarity when my emotions blur the truth. Strengthen my heart to resist the bait and walk in your light. I want a future I can live in with peace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.