May 17, 2020
“A Bump on the Hand”
“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”
1 Corinthians 10:12
It all started very innocently. I was carrying a box outside and bumped my hand into the door jam. I hollered out, but didn’t really think much of it after that. The next day I was sitting in the office and noticed that my hand was about double its normal size. I looked at it and examined it. It didn’t hurt and I could make a fist and move it around. It was sore to the touch, but other than that I didn’t think it was a real problem. A few day later my hand was a pretty ugly shade of purple and black. A huge bruise came to the surface. No one really noticed and I went on as before. The bruise enveloped my hand for about a week and only one person really noticed.
This bruise reminds me of how often we think a little sin will not do much harm. We say things like, “It was only a little lie.” Or how about “God will understand.” And I really like it when we shirk the responsibility of being at church and we say, “The ox was in the ditch.” The people we say it too will agree with our statement and we fill exonerated. Guilt gone and free to continue as normal.
Yet the truth is that the little lie, the bad attitude or thought, the small bit of gossip and any other small sin helps to separate us from the ability to grow in relationship with Jesus. When we try and make “God understand,” we are asking Him to be okay with something that His only Son died and suffered for. We are telling Him that what Jesus did was okay and should have been done so we can have a license to sin. God forbid that we take forgiveness as a license to sin.
Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you do not fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” 1 Corinthians 12:12-13. We are not to allow temptation to push us to the brink of sinning, even the little sin, if there is such a thing. We can find hope in the fact that God has provided a way out.
Don’t give in to the little things that harm and hinder our relationship with Jesus. Fight the temptation by using the word of God. Don’t allow a small bump on the hand to turn into a full blown problem. Hold on to the forgiveness and never let it go.
Dear Jesus, help us to fight temptation and not allow the little sin to turn into more than we can handle. Help us to find and see the way out so that we can live lives that are pleasing to you. Help us to build the relationship that you want with us so that we may be standing tall when we meet you face to face. We ask all of this in your Holy name, Amen.