CHECK YOUR SHOELACES

“For the wages of sin is death…” Rom 6:23 (NKJ)

What a way to kick things off don’t you think? No nice story or fun fact in this article. Fear might have struck your heart when you read that. Maybe even doubt. These are the kind of scriptures we wish we could avoid, but there it is. I dwell on this point because the same feeling might come over you when you’ve just messed up. Fear, doubt and guilt can take you prisoner in that post-sin moment.

In these times, we tend to forget what follows this verse. You know, the part that says, “… but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”. We also forget the verse that precedes it which lets us know that we have, “been set free from sin”. Why do we forget? I think our focus is often shifted towards our faults. We do not feel this ‘freedom’, especially if we are trapped in habitual sin. Sin that we do over and over again often makes us feel unworthy; like we have gone too far; like there is no hope. The very cycle of sin puts us into a cycle of guilt, shame, anger and uselessness which is designed, ironically, to keep us in the cycle itself.

But you see; God’s grace is sufficient (2 Cor 12:9) and there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom8:1). He will never leave nor forsake us (Heb 13:5) and nothing can separate us from His Love (Rom 8:38-39). What is the problem then? Our eyes are always on the fall and we ignore what made us trip. It’s like we are in a race (pun intended) with the best running shoes; but our laces are untied. We run; we fall; we pick ourselves up and promise never to fall again; run; fall; and so it goes. It goes on until we just give up and expect to fall. Instead of taking the time to kneel down and check our shoelaces we focus on the pain, the injury, the ground. Check your shoelaces. What is making you trip?

"Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.” (Mat 18:7-9) (ESV)

When we suffer from habitual sins or addictions; the biblical starting point is repentance. This should be followed by a removal of everything that causes us to sin. In the above verse, Christ deliberately uses a hand, a foot and an eye to make His point. (Think about it, he could have said pinkie toe and ponytail). The hand, the foot and the eye are probably our most useful body parts. The illustration is meant to show you that you need to make some painful decisions and remove some important and useful things in your life for the sake of your relationship with God. Addicted to drinking? Get rid of the friends that you can’t say no to. Addicted to sex/masturbation/porn? Maybe it’s time to get a phone with no internet access.

Do not wallow in guilt. Start cutting out and tearing off. Kneel down and tie your shoelaces.

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Yours in Christ,

Yunam