Infestation
By Sarah Walker
By Sarah Walker
The evidence was overwhelming. We
had a problem. At first, we ignored it. But that didn’t work. Air fresheners
scattered strategically throughout our basement only masked the problem, rather
than dealing with the source. And then we found mice running across our
basement. The mousetraps and poison did their job, and we successfully caught
several mice. But the smell never quite went away and neither did the
sightings. It didn’t take long before we saw baby mice. We realized there was a
mouse nest somewhere in our basement, and that the measures we were taking were
not sufficient to eradicate the problem.
A pest control specialist was called. He set some traps of his own and promised to return in a few months. After his next visit, he checked the traps and determined where the mice were likely entering. We had a few openings, no more than a quarter inch wide. And that, he said, was all the space they needed to enter. With the mice gone and the holes patched, the mice in our basement have been eradicated.
How often does the sin in our own lives mimic my experience with those mice? At first, there are indications of our sin, but we choose to ignore them or cover them over. The smell is there, but if we ensure our own internal air fresheners are strong enough, pretty soon the floral scent is enough to make us think we have fixed the problem.
Oh, but then the negative consequences of our sins make an active appearance. And this time we can’t apply a simple air freshener to the problem. We put poison out to kill the unwanted side effects of the sin - - never truly dealing with the root. And then we realize, somewhere in the basement of our hearts, there is a nest of sin. The sin keeps multiplying. We need to find the cracks and seal the entrances that the evil one has been using to enter our hearts and lives. But no matter how hard we try, we are not capable of running the sin out of our lives in our own power.
Mercifully, we have a “pest control specialist” that we can call. But we must first realize that there is a problem, and then we can repentantly make the call to ask Jesus to deal with our sin. He has dealt with sin once and for all. And He can drive it away in our lives… no matter how great the infestation is.
GOING DEEPER:
If you need to make a call to your “pest control specialist” to deal with the sin in your life, call on Jesus in repentance. Ask Him to clear out your infestation.
FURTHER READING:
Romans 7:14-8:2, 1 John 1:7-10
Sarah is married to Scott and is a full-time mom to their two young sons. She and Scott are involved in a small group focused on prayer.
A pest control specialist was called. He set some traps of his own and promised to return in a few months. After his next visit, he checked the traps and determined where the mice were likely entering. We had a few openings, no more than a quarter inch wide. And that, he said, was all the space they needed to enter. With the mice gone and the holes patched, the mice in our basement have been eradicated.
How often does the sin in our own lives mimic my experience with those mice? At first, there are indications of our sin, but we choose to ignore them or cover them over. The smell is there, but if we ensure our own internal air fresheners are strong enough, pretty soon the floral scent is enough to make us think we have fixed the problem.
Oh, but then the negative consequences of our sins make an active appearance. And this time we can’t apply a simple air freshener to the problem. We put poison out to kill the unwanted side effects of the sin - - never truly dealing with the root. And then we realize, somewhere in the basement of our hearts, there is a nest of sin. The sin keeps multiplying. We need to find the cracks and seal the entrances that the evil one has been using to enter our hearts and lives. But no matter how hard we try, we are not capable of running the sin out of our lives in our own power.
Mercifully, we have a “pest control specialist” that we can call. But we must first realize that there is a problem, and then we can repentantly make the call to ask Jesus to deal with our sin. He has dealt with sin once and for all. And He can drive it away in our lives… no matter how great the infestation is.
GOING DEEPER:
If you need to make a call to your “pest control specialist” to deal with the sin in your life, call on Jesus in repentance. Ask Him to clear out your infestation.
FURTHER READING:
Romans 7:14-8:2, 1 John 1:7-10
Sarah is married to Scott and is a full-time mom to their two young sons. She and Scott are involved in a small group focused on prayer.
