I went to Costco this week, and when I came back home with my load of groceries, I faced a dilemma.
I didn’t dare drive down alongside the house, in the grass, like hubby and I usually do when we come back after a Costco run. Driving alongside the house in the grass would put me right next to the side door and save steps! But with the roofers being here the past month, there has been a remarkable number of screws and nails scattered here and there around the house!
Don’t get me wrong, the roofers have done an amazing job of cleaning up! They have done their best to make sure all the screws and nails have been picked up.
But … you never know if they missed a few here or there.
At the same time, I didn’t dare park right in front of the house. That entire area is where the roofers had their sawhorses set up and had been cutting the metal roofing panels. That area likewise might accidentally have leftover screws or tiny sharp metal fragments.
So … I chose to park way over in the spot where the roofers have been parking. Haha! To be sure, it added a lot more steps to the unloading of my Costco purchases.
Afterwards, when all the purchases had been put away, I headed back outside to give a good “going-over” with my eyes of the gravel area in front of the house. Sure enough, I discovered three different types of screws, along with several tiny sharp metal fragments! Good thing I hadn’t parked there!
The next day I did a thorough “going-over” of the flowerbed where the roofers had set up a secondary work-station with saw-horses to cut the metal roofing panels. Here you can see my haul from that area.
To be fair to the roofers, they had indeed done an amazing job of cleaning up. These leftover camouflaged fragments were almost “invisible” and “hidden” down among the bark chips.
Hubby’s work buddy has a magnetic metal-picker-upper which he is kindly letting hubby and me borrow. I have the upmost gratitude for this magnetic metal-picker-upper!
As I have been combing and scouring the area looking for screws & nails & tiny sharp metal fragments, I couldn’t help but think this is what the Christian life is like.
Many people say they love and follow Jesus. At face value, everyone’s life looks totally terrific. Just like, at face value, the gravel parking area in front of the house looks totally terrific.
We live our Christian life, going to church and doing all the good “Christian” things. It looks like we are really good Christians.
“Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” – 1 Samuel 16:7
But the thing is, in each of our lives, there are “screws & nails & and tiny sharp metal fragments” [aka: sins!] which could “puncture a tire” in life. (for example, these could be: pride … arrogance … bitterness … anger … unforgiveness … lying … stealing … etc.)
Sometimes we know there are “screws & nails & tiny sharp metal fragments” [sin!].
Sometimes we are not aware of these sins at all.
If we don’t do anything about these sins in our life, they will wind up “puncturing a tire” in our own life! We will suffer consequences personally!
But worse than that, if we don’t do anything about these sins in our life, they will wind up “puncturing a tire” of someone whom we love who “comes to visit us” (close family members or friends who are welcomed into the very “heart” of our life).
The sins in our life will wind up causing consequences in the lives of those whom we care about the most!
Or … these seemingly “harmless” and “invisible” sins will wind up “puncturing a tire” of someone whom we don’t know very well, but who happens to “drop by” into our life for a brief bit. This could be our co-workers, or perhaps a clerk at the grocery store, etc. …
After spending time with us for a bit, they “drive off” on their way, only to have damage go with them. And they find themselves stuck on the side of “life’s road” trying to “get their tire fixed.” All because of some sin in our life which did damage to their heart & soul.
The screws & nails & tiny sharp metal fragments in mine and hubby’s front gravel area (and perhaps in the grass alongside the house) aren’t obvious. They are “unseen” … “hidden” … “invisible.”
That’s the way sin is.
I knew there was a high possibility of screws & nails & tiny sharp metal fragments … so I went looking.
But when it comes to life, we don’t realize the equally high possibility of sin in our life … so we don’t even bother to go looking. We assume that just because everything in our life looks good from the surface, and at face value, then everything must be “safe” and “fine.”
But … sin is sneaky! It can be “unseen” … “hidden” … “invisible.”
We need to be on guard! We need to keep an eye out!
How do we do this??
The Holy Spirit … and the book which the Holy Spirit wrote – the Bible … this is our magnetic metal-picker-upper! [aka: our sin detector!]
That’s why it is so very important to read our Bible regularly!
The Holy Spirit will use what we read in the Bible as a “magnetic metal-picker-upper” [aka: a sin detector!].
The Holy Spirit will convict our conscience … this is our “magnetic metal-picker-upper” [aka: our sin detector!].
And when the Holy Spirit does alert us to those “screws & nails & sharp metal fragments” of sin … we’ve got to pick those things up! We can’t just leave them lying there. We must confess that sin. Repent of that sin. Give that sin to Jesus. And get rid of that sin from our life. Just like I threw away and got rid of the screws & nails & sharp metal fragments which I discovered in my front gravel area.
Thank you God, that we don’t have to worry about “screws & nails & tiny sharp metal fragments” of sin in our life … which can “puncture a tire” in our own life … or in the life of someone whom we love. Or even in the life of someone whom we briefly interact with.
Thank you God that you have given us the Bible to be our “magnetic metal-picker-upper” [aka: our sin detector!].
Thank you God that you have given us the Holy Spirit to be our “magnetic metal-picker-upper” [aka: our sin detector!].
May we use our “magnetic metal-picker-upper” [aka: our sin detector!] every day! May we regularly, faithfully scour the areas of our life for “hidden” secret sins which we might not be aware of.
“How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults.” – Psalm 19:12 (NLT)
“Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me.” – Psalm 19:12-13
“How can I keep my way pure? By living according to your word. … I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” – Psalm 119:9, 11
