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    Jack Eckerd, founder of the Eckerd Drug Stores chain, which was the second largest drug chain in America at one time, became friends with Chuck Colson a number of years ago. He introduced Colson to various influential groups in Florida in an effort to bring about change in the state’s criminal justice system. During their travels together, Chuck had an opportunity to share with Jack about his newfound faith in Jesus Christ.

    A short while later, Jack happened to be walking down the magazine aisle in one of his stores, when he noticed Playboy and Penthouse magazines on the rack. It was as if he had seen them there for the first time. The presence of the magazines had never bothered him before, but now it did! Jack called the president of his company, and told him, “Take those magazines out of my stores.”

“Take those magazines out of my stores.”

    “We make three million dollars a year on those magazines,” the president argued.

    “Take ‘em out,” Jack insisted. And so it was that these two magazines were removed from 1,700 stores across America in one day.

    When Chuck asked Jack about his decision, Jack replied, “Why else would I give away three million dollars? The Lord wouldn’t let me off the hook.”

    It has been said that “a man of honor regrets a discreditable act even when it has worked.” Jack Eckerd saw the sin before his eyes, and even though it came at a material cost, he did something about it.

    As Christians, we are called to be attentive to the lure of sin and to avoid it. Solomon put well man’s plight with iniquity when in Ecclesiastes he wrote, “A wise man’s heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man’s heart directs him toward the left.” (10:2 NASV)

    Today, let’s run away from the perils of sin and pursue a Christian life of integrity and honor before the Lord.