Am I an Official Hillbilly Now?

I now own a John Deere mower- does that make me an official hillbilly? I was out mowing down the weeds in my yard today, which is always an interesting time as I am very allergic to them. They take their revenge on me from from the grave. I chop them down and as the dust, dirt, seeds, and pollen blow up into my face I know that I will be paying the price for what I'm doing.
Sins are like weeds. They take root in our hearts and they spread like crazy. They grow like- well, like weeds. The are resilient and they don't want to be killed or pulled. Sin acts entirely the same way.
So why do I go through the hassle and pain of mowing , pulling and weed eating all the weeds in my yard? Because having a nice clean yard is safer- less snakes and mice, etc. It also creates a defensible space in case a fire breaks out. My neighbors are also happier when I clear out my weeds. Again, all of these things can serve as an illustration about the presence of sin in our lives.
Fighting weeds seems like endless work, it wears me out and makes me sick, but in the end it's worth it. I hate sin as much as I hate weeds, and let me tell you, I really hate weeds.
share on: facebook

A Way of Escape

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. New American Standard Bible (©1995)

This verse came to mind today as I was struggling with temptation. Each of us come under spiritual attack on a daily basis, and often we lose the little battles we fight.
Scripture promises a way of escape, but it doesn't promise that using that way of escape will be the easy thing to do, or even the thing which we will want to do when we see it.
Sin can be a whole lot of fun, but it doesn't bring lasting happiness. If only we could remember that each time we struggled against it.
It helps to remember that not even Christ lived a life free of temptation. In fact He was tempted in all the things that tempt us. He kept His eyes on things above, and never yielded to sin's deceitful temptations. This is a good thing for us, because it is He who bore the penalty for our weaknesses on the cross, and it is by His stripes that we are healed.

share on: facebook