Honest about sin
I don’t like to look at my mistakes. Maybe it’s pride, or just that uncomfortable feeling of regret and embarrassment. But I have a tough time facing my faults.
And I really appreciated what Neil had to say today about ignoring the little things… I may be generally doing okay, and I know God isn’t keeping a list of my wrongdoings, but having a tender conscience is so incredibly important.
Yesterday’s definition of sin was this: that learned independence that continues to promote rebellion against God.
When I let the small things of sin go, it leads to me think that some things aren’t a big deal to God, when in fact the issue is whether or not I’m willing to submit my whole life to Him. Like the proverbial frog in the hot water, I deaden my sensitivity to sin the more I do it and don’t own up to it. If I don’t get honest, I’m setting myself up for The Big One, or at least a catastrophe of some scale.
Thankfully, though, the reverse is true… When Jesus tells the story of the three servants who were given money to invest for their master (Matthew 25:14-30), the principle is this: if you’re faithful in the small things, you’ll be faithful in the big ones.
All that said, I really don’t like earthquakes. And I’m sure I really wouldn’t like the kind that comes from sin building up, either. Good motivation to get over myself and look at my sin each day.
I once heard a story about our conscience; it was described as a sharp triangle that operates within our soul. It has three sharp corners that stab at your insides when you sin. However, every time we ignore or deny our conscience it is like filing down the sharp edges of the triangle. The next time you are confronted with the same opportunity to do wrong, your conscience stabs at you but this time the jab is not as strong. Over time, as you continue to resist your conscience the edges are worn down until your rarely feel them. Instead of being a triangle, it is as if your conscience is a bouncing ball in your soul.
ReplyDeleteToday’s devotional was a reminder for me, like this story, to feel each jab of the triangle and deal with it. Ask for forgiveness and make it right. Don’t let the corners of my triangle get filed down.