Have you ever had an area of sin that just won’t go away? Even when you seemed to have had a season where you think “maybe, just maybe, I am over the hump” it comes creeping back in. Could be anything: an action, an attitude or even a lust that seems to control. Maybe it’s just me but I find myself consistently dealing with lapses of judgment that serve as sinful parentheses to a quasi obedient life. Let me illustrate it this way. There are 168 hours in a week and I may successfully avoid one of my many nemeses for 167.75 hours only to find myself face to face with ole Mr. Lust in an unsuspecting moment of temptation. There are times when I walk/run away and times where I stop to play. Either way my temptation and moment of battle is short in duration. Sometimes I wonder if I will ever overcome my lapses of judgement. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful prideful pride of life are as old as the garden as is the true deceiver of our hearts.
There us an old story about a little boy who asked his dad if it was possible to stay out of sin for a whole minute to which the father replied, “of course son, you can stay out of sin for a minute”. The son wondered aloud if it was possible to stay out of sin for an hour to which the father replied, “of course son, you can stay out of sin for an hour”. “What about a whole day” asked the son to which the father replied, “of course son, you can stay out of sin for a day”. “What about a month” replied the boy. Sensing the sincerity of the boy the father consoled him with the reality that though it is theoretically possible it is unlikely that he could sustain a sinless streak for a whole month. To which the young boy replied, “I think I will just try to live my life minute by minute”. Lapses of judgement are overcome with that kind of focus. Maybe I will remember that in my 15 minutes of temptation next time.
timhowington.com 