The other night, when I lay down on my back on the bed to read, I noticed the ceiling fan had been turned off. The fan had never been turned off—, at least not that I had ever noticed. To my amazement–no–HORROR–the fan blades were dripping with black yukky globs of dirt. Not just coated, dripping!
Several questions came to mind: How does dirt like that fly through the air and not be seen as it hurls by? And, even if it wasn’t seen flying through the air, how did it stick tight to a fast moving fan blade? Finally, how do I manage to get the yucky dirt off of the fan blades and not get any on the bedspread?
My mind was too weary to contemplate such deep housekeeping mysteries. I did the only thing any woman faced with a dirty fan late at night could do; I turned the light off. Problem solved, out of sight, out of mind. At least until tomorrow when I must find some way to tackle the dusty dangling dirt before word gets out and I am arrested by the good housekeeping police.
Like the dirt on the whirling fan, sin rarely overtakes us suddenly; it begins small and grows slowly, often without much notice. The Holy Spirit is faithful to point out sin when it first shows up in our life. However, it’s easy to rationalize; “it’s not that big of a deal.” In time, if not removed, the sin will become so large it can not be hidden any longer. To be tempted is not sin, to embrace something we know is wrong is.
A good way to recognize sin is to judge whether what we are doing is being done in secret, or in plain sight. A popular Christian by line has been, “What would Jesus do?” Perhaps a better measure would be, ‘What would YOU do, if Jesus walked in right now?” Would you invite Him to join you? Or would you just want to turn the light off to hide your dirt?
Luke 8:17 For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.
Prayer: Father, forgive me of my sins. Show me how to avoid temptation and give me strength to resist. Help me to be sensitive to the voice of your Holy Spirit so that I will be aware of sin and when I do stumble, to repent quickly. Thank you for your love and forgiveness. Amen.