Summer Vacations are things that we can cherish all the days of our lives as we grow up and remember are youth. This past week I was working while my wife and kids were with her family enjoying the likes of a beach, swimming pool, ice cream shop and some good bible time. Daddy (that's me) was home working hard at his day job and doing project at home by night. The reason why I wasn't with my family is because I errantly took the wrong week off at work and had the previous week off to have a nice "Stay-cation with the family."
Anyway, enough about me and my life. As I was scrolling through my wife's pictures I couldn't help but notice this picture as I was struck with the notion of what sin may look like in our lives. Scripture is clear, in that, you don't read the bible, but rather the bible reads you. That is, to say, if we are completely honest with ourselves we cannot help but be brought to our knees when we read and are convicted by our sinful nature. The apostle Paul tells us to "Train ourselves to be godly." (1 Timothy 4:7). The boy in this picture is my son Trey. He watches everything that I do and he imitates a lot of what I do as well. When I am working at home, he has to go to his room and work. When I am doing projects around the house, he has to go and get his tools to help. When I am sinning, well you get the picture.
Life as we know can be very difficult at times and stressful. If you can imagine with me that the boy in the picture resembles the man of God who is trying to move about his life. He wears the vest (the Armor of God - Ephesians 6) and he knows that he should pray daily and to find quiet time with God. The wave represents sin that can come as a light swell or a small wave or if we are completely vulnerable can come as a massive wave of destruction. The thing about the water is that it can be very alluring. We can feel confident as we get older (more mature in our walk) and eventually get "caught" with are armor off and before we know it we can catch an undertoe that carries us underwater all the way out to sea. Before we know it, we are drowning and unable to rescue ourselves from the destruction of sin.
However, we can train ourselves to be godly. We can read the word of God, and study it, reflect on it, be honest with it. As it reads us and reveals strongholds (sin) in our lives we can choose to either repent of the sin and move closer to God or we can be carried out to sea by the sin that we have grown accustomed to. After all, it's just one beer (two, three, four), or it's just a little pornorgraphy honey, it means nothing to me (impure), or (put in your stronghold here). The point being is the Word of God is living and sharper than any two-edged sword. It can separate bone from marrow and is good for re-proofing and refining our lives if we decided to let it. Don't just hear the word of God, listen to it and DO WHAT IT SAYS.
You will be surprised how God will bless you in your life.
More to come on Spiritual Maturity...