A storm came through a few days ago and blew our pool cover off. I didn’t notice this happened until a few days later. What once was clear water, now was covered in leaves. This is going to take a while to clean.
Looking at the dirty water, I realized this is what happens to our own lives when we let sin in.
Sin usually creeps in because you are trying to fill a void. At first it seems harmless. Until, over time, the protective cover over your mind and heart is blown off, leaving you exposed to filling it with destructive patterns. The “leaves” start to come in and before you know it, you are so far into sin that you forget what a clean heart fills like.
Drunkenness. Anger. Lying. Envy. Gossiping. Stealing. Lust. All sin is equal because it separates us from God and makes us fall short of his glory.
The Bible says sin leads to death.
When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! Romans 6: 20-21
Slaves to sin. Have you ever felt like that? Like you know what you are doing is killing you physically or mentally but yet you feel like you have no power to stop?
In my life, I let bitterness in, and my mind was clouded with anger. I knew my thought pattern was not helping me, but I couldn’t seem to stop thinking negatively. I thought if I could just “control” every situation I would protect myself and those around me.
It’s hard to break a bad thought pattern. The Bible says in Romans 6:23 There’s a law at work in my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner.
I remember the day I realized this. I was praying for God to search my heart and help me see things I need to work on. I had this picture of God trying to help me, but he couldn’t even see inside my heart because it was so closed off. That was my reality check. I needed to TRUST God.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. Romans 8:1-3
You see, if you let God into your heart, he is the only one who can fill that void. He is the one who can give you a clean heart and mind so you can break your sin cycle.
So, I slowly stepped into the swimming pool, and started to move the leaf skimmer around the edge of the water. As I was catching debris, I realized it wasn’t going to be that hard because of the tool I had. Eventually, the water became clear again, making the pool look brand new.
God is that tool for us.
Because of God, the burden isn’t as heavy. He can make you brand new too.
This week, ask God to search your heart and reveal if there is any sin you need to address. And if you don’t know Jesus as your Lord and savior, I am praying that you would start to feel his presence and his love.
