Testing the Waters

Oh the joy of being stupid. So, there I was, at the Flowers-I work for an elderly couple doing yard work and such-and I was cleaning up sticks RIGHT before I left for home since I was so excited to hear that my grandparents were over. As I was finishing up, I heard rustling in the leaves and saw some tiny gray thing shoot out. A star nosed mole. Great, I thought. More distractions. So, me being the inconsiderate and yet *ahem* brilliant young man I am, I decided to catch the thing. Apparently this feat is not to be done. Ever. Why did God make me stupid, I wondered. I quickly pushed those thoughts aside and for the next, oh, I would say, 5 minutes or so, I literally ran around catching the thing, laughing while it squealed, let it go, and the process started all over again. Yes, Ok? I was acting like I was a 5 year old brat! I was DETERMINED to catch that mole! Well, more specifically, star nosed mole. Moving on. I left it alone long enough to put the remaining stick into the wheelbarrow and make it look semi-decent under the tree. I then directed my attention back to that dastardly creature they call a mole. *sigh* I saw it again but since the grass has not been mowed in eons (yes, that's a word. Look it up! ^_^), I couldn't see where it's head was. Well, Mr(s). Mole was NOT happy! So, it reared it's ugly head and bit me in the thumb! Congratulations, Sam! You have the "I got bit by a star-nosed mole" trophy! Yeah, so needless to say my reaction to this whole ordeal was not so good. As soon as my nerve endings stopped firing signals to my brain, that is, pain was happening, I quickly threw my hand in the air. In the process of all this, I suspect this was the first time ever a star-nosed mole was airborne. He should have gotten some Red Bull to satisfy his flight. I never did bother to see where the 747 took the mole but I can imagine he is telling all his/her friends about the escapade. I went away with a hole in my thumb, blood all over the wheelbarrow, and a bruised ego. A mole bested me! How tragic and so hilariously sad at the same time!

So, my point for this whole ordeal? 2 words: testing sin. We as Christians OFTEN test sin to see how far we can go until we get caught or until God punishes us for it. How sad! If we are new creatures, we have NO right to be even dabbling in sin much less testing it to see whether or not it will "satisfy our fix" for the evening. Satan loves this since he knows our hearts and knows exactly how to tempt us to once again "test the waters." 1 Peter 5:8 states, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." As we know, the Devil is always searching for an opportunity to make us fall. Why do we make it even easier for him when make the excuse of "Oh, I was just trying it out?" Yes, because we are human, but we also do this, I believe, because we are not satisfied with what God has given us in the first place. God gives us so much yet we almost literally throw it back in His face and say, "I don't like what you gave me. Give me something 'better.'" When He does give us something "better" in return, if you will, we are STILL not satisfied! I want to pull my hair out since I KNOW for a fact and can even tell you times that I have done this, sadly, recently! Man, as a whole, is never satisfied with what he has since he is a sinner.

I pray that as you go away from this post, you will see how easy it is to get caught up in our daily lives and sadly "test the waters" of sin. I pray that you will "be sober, be vigilant" about this. Be consciously aware of your sin and literally think before you speak. It is a terrible cliché, I know, but there is SO much truth behind that phrase. When I was at Bob Jones, my PC (Prayer Captain) challenged us to be very aware of our sin. Even something simple as making fun of someone in your MIND we took note of. At the end of the day when we got together for prayer and a short devotional, he asked us to share how many times we almost sinned and how many times we did sin. It's pretty pathetic how many times we sinned much less how much we almost sinned and stopped ourselves. This is my challenge to you for this week: make a mental note of ever time you sin, whether it be negative thoughts about a person while driving since they cut you off to something as simple as talking back to your parents. This will allow you to be aware of the danger of sin. Ask the Lord to help you to remember this and to keep you sober as you battle against the rulers of the darkness of this world. I pray this for you, as well.