OPINION: Temptations of money, sex and power - David Butterfield

Of course, today, we know better. Or do we? It is interesting to see how the ‘gods’ of Mammon, Aphrodite, Mars are still alive and well today in our society. Mammon was the god of money, Aphrodite the god of sex, and Mars the god of war.

It is said that the three biggest temptations that come our way are money, sex and power. Many people have come a cropper as a result of ‘worshipping’ these gods.

Of course, we don’t build temples to these gods today, yet their presence is everywhere. For example, we see Mammon being worshipped in the world of business, high finance, lotteries, or gambling which can be accessed on our town and city streets and on every computer screen.

In the world of sex, Aphrodite can be accessed all to easily on our tablets, mobile phones and computers.

Every second, 25,258 internet users are viewing pornography and, according to one source, “For many young people, pornography is an addictive force that is leading to a quiet epidemic of young people who cannot control their online or television habits.”

The other false god that we see regularly in our contemporary world is power. It is worshipped in many different locations including the work place, organisations, relationships and elsewhere. It is especially high profile at present in the devastation that we see in Ukraine caused by President Putin’s worship of Mars the bringer of war with its military might and power.

The consequences of the worship of Mammon can be clearly seen in the divide between rich and poor.

The outcome of the worship of Aphrodite can be seen in a sexually promiscuous society that leads to lots of broken relationships.

The effect of the worship of Mars can be seen in power-struggles found in the world of business, politics, families, factions, and international relations.

It is easy to become addicted to these so-called gods. The author of a book I was reading about this pointed out how, when we ‘worship’ these gods by misusing money, sex and power it can feel like something takes us over. We find that we want more and more - yet it never satisfies.

For the Christian the way to be liberated from this is to worship the one true God revealed in Jesus Christ. He once said, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

The Jesus we read about in the Gospels wasn’t addicted to money, sex and power. Instead he was dedicated to the very opposite: generosity, love and humility.

We would do well to follow his example.