Tennessee is experiencing a heat wave along with several other states. Our temperatures are record breaking for the month of June. We are not currently on water ration, however, if we don't get some rain soon we will be. I have watered my lawn and plants each night and while the plants seem to be doing ok with a few brown leaves here and there, the lawn is a different story. Our lawn is actually more weeds than grass and someday I hope to remedy that, however, for the time being, I try to do what I can to keep the lawn mowed, edged, and neat looking. During this heat wave any resemblance of a blade of actual green grass seems to have disappeared, even with my (brief) nightly watering’s. I have noticed that the weeds seem to be thriving. Not uniformly, but sporadic here and there just enough to be noticed.
As I watered last night I was thinking how sin is like the weeds in my yard. It doesn’t take much for a weed to live. Weeds grow in every season here except winter, they lay dormant, however, with the first sign of spring they are ready to push out from the dirt and stand tall. People go to extremes to get rid of them, whether it's pulling them out from the root, putting weed killer on them, or covering the area with mulch. These measures are all temporary covers because they will continually reinvent themselves and try to choke the life from your plants or grass. Weeds are greedy as they steal the water you add to keep your plant or grass alive. It doesn’t take long for weed to multiply and get deeply rooted. They can also grow in small cracks and crevices.
Sin is similar. Sin wants to choke the life from you especially your spiritual life. Sin can easily become deeply rooted and multiply. Sin is present in every season of our life. Sin can be masked with temporary covers; however too effectually get rid of a sin area in our life it takes more than a "cover". Sin knows no boundary and sin never gives up. Sin can become dormant just long enough to make you feel as if you have finally mastered it, and then when you least expect it, it rears its head, as if it never left you. Sin can also manifest itself in the smallest of cracks, cracks that you may consider to be too small to worry about, however, that is all it takes.
The best way to defeat a sin area is to never let your guard down. Don't allow yourself to feel as if you have finally mastered it and then move on. We must remain vigilant in our measures to prevent sin from mastering us. It's a day by day, minute by minute challenge; however, if you remain steady with your relationship with God (which includes prayer, reading your Bible, fellowshipping with other believers, and growing spiritually) you will be one step ahead instead of behind. It's never too late to start.
There is always HOPE!
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. 1Peter 5:8-10
