Jesus doesn’t just want your actions. He wants your heart. He wants you. Purity isn’t about looking perfect; it’s about repentance and daily obedience. What fills your heart will fill your home. Matthew 5:27-30 shows Jesus doesn’t lower the standard. He is the standard.

#1 Sin starts in the heart. “[E]veryone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart,” (v. 28). Sin isn’t just what you do; it’s what you want. It doesn’t start on the outside, but on the inside. You can look calm, steady, and perfect on the outside and still be drifting on the inside.

Lust is a sin that can reshape how we see ourselves, those around us, and our wives. What we dwell on will eventually show up in our lives and our homes.

#2 Small compromises are never small. “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away,” (v. 29). Jesus uses strong words here. Sin is serious. If something keeps tempting you, don’t try to manage it. Remove it. Delete it. Run from it. Shut it down.

We often don’t fall into sin out of ignorance. Instead, we excuse, negotiate, and rationalize. Temptation doesn’t have to win. Stop playing with sin and go to war with it.

#3 What you tolerate privately will become public. “[I]t is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell,” (v. 30). Jesus makes it clear: serve Him or serve sin. Whatever is done in private never stays private. It will touch your marriage, your home, and your leadership. What feels small today is shaping you. If you think it’s not, the enemy has you where he wants you.

Take the hard steps now. Set up restrictions on your phone and make that honest confession. These are small prices to pay for a life lived for God.

12 Bible Verses About Hard Times in Relationships: When a relationship gets hard, the next right move is not always obvious. Here are twelve verses that can help reset your compass.

What’s Really in Your Heart? I got surprisingly honest about envy this week on the podcast. It turned into a real conversation about why most of our struggles as dads are not behavior problems. They are heart problems.

“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak.” —C.S. Lewis

“Beware of no man more than of yourself; we carry our worst enemies within us.” —Charles Spurgeon

Today, don’t just feel bad about where you’re at. Do something. If you’re struggling with lust, be honest about where it usually gets you: your phone, your schedule, being alone, late nights. Then, cut off one access point today. Move the device. Delete that time-sucking app. Change your routine. Text a brother. Pray up.

There’s no such thing as managing sin. God calls us to take holiness seriously. One clear step is better than a long list of good intentions.

What’s one place temptation keeps creeping in that you need to cut off today?

God’s calling all of us to stop making excuses for sin and start taking Him seriously.

Kent Evans
Author of Don’t Bench Yourself, co-founder of Manhood Journey

P.S. Was this Mountain Monday helpful? Tell me if you love it, hate it, or if there’s something you’d like in the next one.

Forward this to a dad you know who needs some encouragement.