My Life as a Prostitute
By: M.E. Townsend

“All her carved images shall be beaten to pieces, and all her pay as a harlot shall be burned with the fire; all her idols I will lay desolate, for she gathered it from the pay of a harlot, and they shall return to the pay of a harlot.” Micah 1:7

Scripture teaches that it is man that looks at the outward appearance, while it is the LORD that looks on the heart. [I Samuel 16:7]

The Words of our LORD, penned by the Prophet Samuel, convict us as we view with disdain and scorn the life of the prostitute.

Our view of prostitution, defined by our perception of prostitution, readily envisions a young woman; bound by deviant behaviour selling sexual favor for money, is abhorrent to most. By definition, a prostitute is "a person, usually a woman, who provides sexual activity in exchange for material security."

We breathe a collective sigh of relief and move on. However, Merriam-Webster defines prostitution as ‘to devote to corrupt or unworthy purposes’ - corrupt implies a loss of soundness, purity or integrity, and this one we cannot escape.

Prostitution is also defined as "debasing [to make lower in value or character] oneself for personal gain," and this usage applies to both male and female. Additionally, it is "a misuse of one's gifts, talents, or skills."

Clearly sexual misconduct is sin. Sexual sin is not only a sin against our body, but our spirit, our soul and our God. We all too quickly judge the prostitute and quicker still condemn. Perhaps we are looking too closely at the speck in our brother [or sister’ eye] while ignoring the plank in our own?

Who among us has taken a hard, difficult look at self and caught a glimpse of our own life of disobedience and sin, our own life as a prostitute?

We debase ourselves by indiscriminately choosing self-gratification over quiet time with the LORD. How often have we compromised our principles, if only a little? Do we look the other way in order to avoid speaking truth where truth is needed? Do we snicker at jokes unsuitable for believers? How often have we raced home after Sunday service, if we can find the energy or time to attend, to 'catch the game’? Who among us has not chosen Monday night football over Monday night Bible study? How many read novels instead of New Testaments?

We have schedules to keep and bills to pay. As we hurry through the trials and tribulations of life, we major on the minors, miss the miracles and all too often end up disillusioned in a world with too many questions and very few, if any, answers.

"Only one life, it will soon be passed. Only what's done for Jesus the Christ will last."

We find time for Little League but have little time for the LORD. We race across highways our hectic lives have created, seldom noticing the Creator or His creation. Ignoring His admonition to “be still and know that I AM God” we choose instead to relax in front of the television, go out with friends, or nap, drifting off in blissful apathy as we take pride in our weekly hour with the LORD or promise to do better next Sunday.

Unwittingly perhaps, we have allowed lifestyles and life choices to crowd in, stealing our time, our talents and our energies. We grab for the gold, too late realizing what we thought was gold was only brass. We reach for the good while ignoring the best. We have used what God has given us, not to build His Kingdom, but to build our own.

Our lives move along, hopefully without abundant difficulty, on the path we have set for ourselves - our path of prostitution.

Recalling the Great Harlot's boast in Revelation 18; “I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow." we see one who has chosen to compromise rather than suffer loss of position, power, or prestige. As the LORD of heaven admonishes His people; “come out of her My people lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues”, we see in the Great Harlot one blinded by arrogance and pride, proud of her accomplishments, boasting in all she has done, one deaf to the cries of the LORD; glorifying self, ignoring God.

Once we have knowledge of the Truth of the Word of God, His way and His law, we prostitute ourselves if we allow anything to take the place that only He should occupy. If we do not discipline ourselves to walk in obedience to His Word, if we indulge in self-gratification, ignoring what we know to be true, we deceive ourselves, the truth is far from us and we become like the Great Harlot in the Book of the Revelation.

“For we are God’ fellow workers, you are God’s field, you are God’s building…For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is [ already] laid, which is Jesus the Christ.”
I Corinthians 3:9-10