Kryptonite. It’s the only thing that has proven to be deadly…to Superman. He knows that he has to keep his distance from it or risk a painful, lingering death.

What’s your kryptonite?

Everyone has something, or more than one something, that is deadly to them. No, I’m not talking about cancer, bullets, dynamite, or other physical things that will hurt or kill everyone. I’m talking about things that can damage you to the point of rendering you ineffective as a follower of Christ.

Yes, I know it’s a lot more pleasant to talk about the things that we should do to be good citizens and likeable to everyone around us. But God also has shown us a list of character flaws and actions that, left unchecked, will spell disaster in our personal and spiritual lives.

Galatians 5:19-21 is a list of kryptonite that can derail any of us if we don’t pay attention.

• Sexual immorality: any form of sexual action (heterosexual or homosexual) that is wrong according to the Bible
• Impurity: sexual immorality in your thought life
• Promiscuity: brazen, unashamedly bold sexual immorality
• Idolatry and Witchcraft: religious sins that claim power from anything not of God
• Hatred and Conflict: hating what/who God loves and being in conflict with godly people
• Jealousy that results in Fits of Rage: being jealous of someone’s success, freedom, or achievements to the point of rage (uncontrolled, selfish anger that seeks harm on others)
• Dissention and Factions: pulling away from everyone to create your own group of complainers
• Envy, Drunkenness, and Orgies: wanting what someone else has and substituting drug/alcohol/sexual abuse when you can’t get it

They are all KRYPTONITE for you.

Remember, Superman cannot even get close to kryptonite or it will debilitate him to the point of eventually killing him. It’s the same for you and I. We think that we can dabble in one or more of them and not get burned too badly. We “accept the risk” because it’s never caused any serious issues before (translation: we’ve been able to hide it or control it up to this point). You’re just fooling yourself.

I read this a few years ago and it’s true:

Sin will always
Take you further than you wanted to go
Leave you longer than you wanted to stay
Cost you more than you wanted to pay

If you want to read further, Galatians 5:22-26 lists the cure for allowing kryptonite into your lifestyle. God isn’t mad at you for getting too close to the kryptonite…He wants to help you escape and become the person He created you to be.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.