by Lance Cordle

Consider the following hypothetical situations:

A man selects a site on his property for a garden.  He does not till the soil.  He just scatters the seed and walks away.  No fertilizer is placed with the seed; no watering is done.  The man, however, expects a large crop of vegetables.  Question:  Is he being realistic?  Answer: No.  PRINCIPLE: IF IT'S NOT FED (cultivated, nourished), IT WON'T GROW (flourish).

A young man hears about a party his friends are having.  He accepts an invitation and shows up--only to find that it is a poker party.  Since celebrities are playing poker and it is on so many TV channels, it must a cool way to have fun and "make a quick buck," right?  The young man, however, knows that it is gambling, and is well aware of the tragic consequences of gambling addiction.  He walks away from the party, resolving not to gamble, even if it means his friends will be disappointed.  He believes the risk of addiction is too great---IF IT'S NOT FED, IT WON'T GROW.

A man has been married for several years.  He loves his wife and believes their marriage is good, but he is a little bored.  At work, he spends a lot of time around a single young woman.  She is
attractive and personable.  Most of their contact is work-related and, so far, he has kept it that way.  He knows, however that she would "see him" outside of work, if he would but ask.  After thinking it
over, he resolves to work on his relationship with his wife, to be more attentive, and to liven up their marriage with better communication and more romance.  He resists the urge to build a deeper
relationship with the woman at work.---IF IT'S NOT FED, IT WON'T GROW.

A young man and woman in their early twenties have dated for several months and are "serious" about each other.  There is a real possibility that they will get married.  They love each other and
express it in verbal and non-verbal ways.  However, they are Christians and have resolved to avoid fornication and save themselves sexually for marriage.  Thus, they have set definite limits on their
physical displays of affection.  They could give in to lust, like so many have chosen to do, but they don't.---IF IT'S NOT FED, IT WON'T GROW.
 

A man is offended by a lifelong friend.  He thinks about the situation, but decides to act in good faith and talk to his friend about the problem.  The friend understands, and he too, wants to do what is right.  Resentment, though contemplated, does not really even begin.---IF IT'S NOT FED, IT WON'T GROW.

Is there something you are feeding that shouldn't be fed?