trbccoffeebreak

“But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”  Genesis 4:7  “For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live.”  Ezekiel 18:32 (ESV)

I glimpsed this tiny little creature moving ever so fast across my windowsill. I had seen them before when the dry, humid temperatures of summer began to soar. So I eagerly squished the ant and thought I had solved my creature dilemma. Unfortunately, I claimed victory too soon.

The reality is that ants live in colonies. There’s never just one, two or three. Somewhere close by, under the surface, many more were lurking – even 100 ants can exist in a small colony. My creature dilemma needed a quick fix, or I was going to battle these ants all summer. So a trip to Lowe’s gave me the best game plan –  sweetness drawing the ants in to partake of the liquid and take it back to the colony. Needless to say, this liquid was anything but real sweetness – no more ants in sight because the source had been destroyed.

Just keeping it real here but there is often a lot more lurking under our surface than a colony of pests. Left unattended, sin has a way of multiplying rapidly. One little compromise leads to another. One excused reaction births more. One surfaced misstep discretely covered up without tackling the real issue gives the false assurance that we are safe. Not exactly a place where we want to land.

Sin left to itself desensitizes our hearts to the truth of what is right and what is wrong. Obedience to God quickly fades when our desires are aligned with the enemy’s schemes. Sin’s devastation isn’t always instant. The separation it births between us and God leaves us vulnerable and unprotected. Like ants drawn into the temporary sweetness of pleasure, the bitterness of sin’s reality crushes our spirit.

Unfortunately a trip to Lowe’s won’t solve our sin issues. God knows our human frailty, our tendency to give into the flesh and resist His truth. Yet from the moment sin entered our world, His plan for redemption was birthed. Why? Because God desires to be reunited with His creation. He longs for us to avoid the pitfalls of sin and the heavy consequences it brings. God gave His Son to die on the cross so we could experience victory over sin and death. An eternity with God is guaranteed for those who place their faith and trust in Him.

Sweet friends, we will all experience temptation. Instead of grabbing grace on the go, we would be wise to live our lives in a way that seeks to avoid rather than entertain sin. How do we win this battle:

1. Know God’s Word and follow His commands – it’s the best way to ensure victory and avoid the destructive consequences of sin. Mediate on His words and hide them deep in our hearts.
2. Identify and come up with a game plan for handling temptations. Don’t assume a quick victory; Satan doesn’t give up easily. Seek God’s help in moments of weakness and cultivate a climate of accountability.
3. Personal consistent communication with God fosters a deep commitment to avoiding sin and resisting temptation.
4. Guarding our thoughts and aligning them with God’s truth builds a safety net when sin comes knocking on our door.
5. Keep a short account of sin. When we feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit, we should confess our sins quickly and seek God’s forgiveness.

If we lock arms with God, seek His help and intentionally choose to walk in His ways, we can be victorious over sin.

“Father, help us to view our sins through Your eyes and embrace pivotal truths in Your word that seek to protect us from the devastation of sin.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life