A pastor at a Promise Keeper’s convention shared how we should hate sin but in reality we tend to hold some sins close to ourselves, thinking they aren’t so bad: things like gossip, selfishness, over indulgence, apathy, anger, mindlessness. The problem is that all sin creates a wedge between us and our loving God. Romans 8:38 says nothing can separate us from the love of God. But anything that we put before God, that separates us from our personal relationship with God is sin.
Decades ago, traveling carnivals would sometimes give out tiny ‘pet’ alligators as prizes. They were all the rage. They’d get put into household terrariums and played with, held close, and admired. But of course, over time they outgrew their safe confines and became quite unmanageable.
Sin is like that. We convince ourselves that something that is wrong is right and that what is bad is not TOO bad…compared to others. Then there’s our addictions. We all know we should stay away from the harmful ones, but what about the addictions we crave that seem actually good for us? After all, we’re reminded that our bodies are God’s temple. It makes sense that we should take care of our body, eat healthy, and exercise. Nothing in scripture would deny that. But what happens when we become so obsessed with this temporary physical body that we lose sight of everything else?
I saw a recent advertisement for a hoodie with the inscription “Working out is my drug. Don’t judge me.” Another might read, “The gym is my temple.” The fact is, we can become pretty ‘religious’ about our addictions – even more than our spiritual life. We hold them close to us. Of course we should eat well, exercise, and be good stewards of the body God gave us. But when our world revolves around every bite we eat, every calorie we burn, every mile we run faster, or every wrinkle that appears on our face life becomes distorted. What should be good and right is twisted into something that takes us away from God’s real call on our lives – to love Him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength…and to love our neighbor.
Maybe you aren’t obsessed with exercise, beauty, or diet. But we all have something we hold close to us and protect, even though it serves only to alienate and hurt us, not help us. It could be fearful thinking or a sarcastic, cynical attitude. That addictive thing we hold close is called sin and it separates us from an intimate fellowship with a loving God who wants so much more…not just FROM us but FOR us. Drop the sin you hold close and pick up the heart of God. Keep it close to yours wherever you go today.
