Thoughtful Thursday

Silent Creepers

Have you ever walked into a room in your house, and thought, “I’ve got to clean up this mess!?” But, then, something distracts you, so you don’t get to it that day. Then, a day or two later, you pass by and moan a little, and say again, “I have really got to clean that room!”  Days may turn into weeks, and now, not only do you have the original mess, but perhaps you have added even more.

Recently, my husband and I finally decided to clean and remodel our upstairs space. We never went up there. That is, unless we acquired some item and we said to ourselves, “What am I going to do with this? Oh! I know! I’ll put it upstairs!” Now, here we are…empty nesters with years…no…decades of “STUFF,” that we’ve stuffed upstairs. We didn’t think much about it when it was one item at a time, but now that we are remodeling, we realize that most of this stuff has to go! 

I’m talking about a set of encyclopedias, with one volume missing…old CD’s and DVD’s…my seventh grade Kentucky history book, (I kind of wanted to keep that)…smudgy photographs…board games with missing pieces…well, you get the idea.

As I was thinking of things that we had accumulated along the way, I thought that this is how sin can creep into our lives…a little at a time. Maybe we are not careful about the movies or TV shows we watch. Perhaps the language is not wholesome, but we become hardened to it, or desensitized. “It’s just a little curse word,” we tell ourselves. The next thing you know, characters are using the Lord’s name in vain. “Well, it was just once,” we say. Then there’s a scene with obscenities, that go against what God’s Word teaches should be saved for a husband and wife. “Well, that’s common now. Everybody does that.”

There are other sins that can creep into your life a little at a time. Anger, greed, pride…before you know it, they’ve piled up, just like that pile of “stuff” piled up in our house. 

In Genesis, Chapter 3, Satan was trying to tempt Eve to eat of the fruit. Every time she stood her ground, he would whisper in her ear, “You will not certainly die…”  Satan also whispers in our ear, until we end up having a pile of junk to deal with.

I am encouraged, though, because even though the devil whispers in our ear, we also have God’s Word to counteract that. We have Biblical examples of people that held fast to their faith. We have a church family that will encourage and edify us, and hold us accountable.

Hebrews 12:1-2 says: 
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,

Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Also, 1 John 1:9 tells us:
“ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins, and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Isn’t that wonderful, that we can throw away the junk that piles up and entangles us, and that He will PURIFY us?

Everybody needs to do a little housecleaning now and then. Don’t let those little silent creepers pile up and entangle you! 

Have a Great Thursday!