essays 166-175

1. #175 Stale Chocolate Sin
2. #174 You need a bath, not a Change of Clothing!
3. #173 Just A Spoonful of Honey
4. #166 The Best Man for the Job
5. #167 When the Wind Blows
6. #168 Slipping Back
7. #169 Mantis on the Table
8. #170 Tangled Slinky
9. #171 Glasses are not Swim Goggles
10. #172 Acceptable Evidence

#175 Stale Chocolate Sin

I was hungry for chocolate--any kind of chocolate (well, I wasn't yet to the point where I would eat Pillsbury chocolate frosting with a spoon). I happened to find one of my favorites: Hershey miniatures. My sons had a nice quantity of them, mixed in with their other candy. I unwrapped one little chocolate bar studded with peanuts, took a bite, and....bleah! That Easter-colored pastel wrapper should have been a warning. That candy was four months old. Nothing like stale chocolate, is there? The flavor was gone--but of course, the calories remained.

I had to think: sin should be like that stale chocolate to us after we've been converted. Sin is still temptingly wrapped in beautifully colored paper but if you give in to the temptation, you'll find the flavor is gone--sin just doesn't taste as good as it used to. However, just like those chocolate calories, sin's consequences still remain. So don't take that first bite. Do what I did--toss all those stale chocolate temptations in the trash!

God has better tasting, more nutritious things for you to eat now, anyway. (No, it's not Brussels' sprouts, either!) What we need to learn to do as Christians is to develop a taste for wholesome things--to develop our palates for righteousness and holiness (I'm thinking they might taste like fresh, crisp, juicy fall apples). Tell Satan that you are not interested in his stale chocolates anymore. You don't want to feel "weighed down" by sin (like I feel when I've eaten too many homemade chocolate turtles at Christmas time!)

"Set a watch for my lips" Yes, and while you are at it, also guard your tongue, your eyes, and your thoughts. That stale chocolate turns up in the most unexpected places.....

#174 You need a bath, not a Change of Clothing!

I mowed the lawn the other day and then had to make a quick trip into town. There didn't seem to be any reason to take a shower since I knew that I'd be getting dirty again when I got home. So I just put on some clean clothes instead. Not quite the same result as soap and hot water, though--I didn't exactly smell bad, but I didn't smell good, either. You can't cover up the smell of gasoline and fresh grass clippings (add a faint touch of hog manure to that) by throwing a clean shirt over it! (Honest, I've never done that before--and I tried not to get to close to anyone...I sort of "aired out" anyway....)

How many of us are guilty of doing the same thing spiritually? We try to cover up sin (maybe a negative attitude or less-than-wholesome habit) by looking more "religious" on the outside. We talk about God but we smell more like the world. And no matter how often we change our outside appearance--no matter how fancy those "clean clothes" are--what we really need is a good bath. Those around us--especially those very close to us (within "whiffing" distance, so to speak) are not fooled a bit!

So, take a bath! Admit that you are dirty and then get yourself cleaned up! We need daily sanctification--the "washing of water by the word" (Ephesians 5:26) and by confession and prayer. So, as Jesus told the Pharisees, get your inside cleaned up first, and then you make the outside clean as well! (Matthew 23:26)

#173 Just A Spoonful of Honey

Occasionally, I sell a loaf of whole wheat bread to a librarian friend of mine. I made a loaf yesterday and was going to drop it off at the library while I looked for a certain Max Lucado book. But as I pulled up in front of the building, something about that loaf of bread nagged at me. I knew that it wasn't as perfect as I'd like it to be: the top was a bit uneven, and the color was somewhat pale. And then it dawned on me: had I forgotten to add the honey? Yes, that must have been it! Now that I thought about it, I didn't remember taking that large gallon jar off the shelf--I'd meant to, but just then I had been interrupted. This loaf would not be fit to give away, let alone to sell! I confessed my "flop" to the librarian. She said "you are too young to be forgetting things like that!" (That was nice of her but I'm not all that young, and I'm plenty absent-minded!)

I sliced up the loaf today to see what it was like. Unpalatable, it was coarse, dry and tasteless. In fact, it was a lot like that loaf I'd made awhile back when I'd omitted the salt (not quite as coarse, perhaps). Looks like another treat for the pigs. (No, of course I'm not referring to my three sons--whatever gave you that idea? They are fussier in their eating habits than koalas!)

Jesus said that we are to be the salt of the earth. I wonder if perhaps we are to be a little like honey as well? This world could use some sweetening at times. Perhaps joy can be like honey....joy has such a winsome quality about it. A spoonful of "joy" to make the medicine of life go down easier? Just a spoonful--don't want to pour in the whole jar at once (my bread recipe called for 1 Tablespoon of honey, not an entire cupful!) --just enough to bring out the flavor. We don't want to be dry, insipid (or vinegary sour) Christians; that won't attract many flies (oops, I mean unbelievers). Our speech is to be with grace, seasoned with salt (Colossians 4:6)--maybe that grace is a bit like honey. If God's words are sweeter than honey (Psalm 119:103), surely ours could use some honey as well. James warns us about our words--we can't have bitter and sweet water flowing out of the same fountain (James 3:10,11)

So, how could you add a dash of sweetness to your life today? (I need it more than any of you; "sweet" is one adjective people never seem to use in describing me!) Perhaps you could lend a listening ear instead of giving an impatient "brush off"? Listen the tone of your voice--and tone down that sharpness! Give someone the benefit of the doubt today. Relax a bit--learn to look for the humor in those everyday aggravating situations. Maybe someone will wonder about you--and ask what makes you different ("be ready always to give an answer....")

But don't be phony! (I prefer genuine grouches over "smile to your face and stab you in the back" phonies!) People can detect artificial sweetener a mile off (it is that bitter aftertaste that gives you away.) Remember--a dash of genuine honey, not a whole box of Nutrasweet®!

#167 When the Wind Blows

"...lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood;" Deut. 29:18

This has been a summer of unusually heavy rain and strong winds here in NE Indiana. I'd never seen a heavy thunderstorm where thunder crashed and lightning flashed for over 5 hours straight (who could sleep--especially in a mobile home?). And then there was the wind storm. Straight winds of nearly 60 mph. I was praying that those "hurricane straps" on our house trailer would hold. They did. But we had a tree that fell; a large white peach tree, heavy laden with little green peaches. It split right in two. A small portion was left standing but the bulk of the tree was lying on the ground. All the hours my husband put in just this year, pruning and spraying and thinning the fruits were all for nothing.

Take a closer look at that fallen trunk--it is easy to tell that the wood was rotten. In fact, we knew that it was only a matter of time before the tree died. We noticed rotten wood when a large branch broke off earlier. But there was so much fruit--we hoped that the tree would make it through this season. And it probably would have, if not for that freak wind storm.

It is necessary for a Christian to bear fruit--in its season. According to the John 15, we bear fruit by abiding in Jesus, the true vine--by staying close to Him. But even if we may be potentially very fruitful, we need to take care that there is no rottenness found buried deep inside of us: resentment, anger, bitterness, coldness, hatred, or nursing of "justified" grudges. If there is such rotten wood in us, we might topple over before that fruit has a chance to get ripe. As long as outside circumstances remain quiet, we might be OK. But who know when the winds of adversity might blow suddenly--even fiercely--without warning? Get rid of any rottenness in you now--for your own good. Confess those buried soul cancers as sin, turn them over to God and ask Him to heal your spirit. Pray "unto Him who is able to keep you from falling." Don't be like the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees "which indeed appear beautiful outward but are within full of...all uncleanness."

#168 Slipping Back

We had a discouraging appointment last week at my son's orthodontist's. I wondered what was wrong when the assistant asked me "you do turn the appliance two times a week?" Yes, I did. "Here, show me how you do it." So I showed her how I put the key in the hole and gave it one complete turn. I passed that test. But there is also a wire that needs to be inserted in the hole to keep the (palate expanding) appliance from slipping back. I explained that procedure "just as I was shown how to do it." But something was wrong. My son Brandon had that awkward (orange, glow-in-the dark) lower expander in his mouth for over 2 weeks and it was exactly the same size as at first--hadn't moved even 1/4 millimeter! Back to square one (at least the top expander was fine--that one stays in and can't slip back). I had to learn a different way to insert the wire ("this should work"). I told Brandon that his expander just wanted to keep going back to the original, loose position. It didn't want to stay tight--it would be tight when I first adjusted it but soon slipped back.

How easy it is, also, for Christians to "slip back" into old habits. Perhaps Sunday is our day to get "tightened up" but by Monday morning, we are back to our old self again. It is just too much effort to "stay tight" all of the time, we think. We need some kind of "wire" to hold us in place; we can't expect to keep from slipping back eventually if we rely on our own ability and willpower. We have to allow the Holy Spirit to be our "wire" to hold us in place. We need to be careful to stay close to Him and not to quench His power by our own neglect or willful disobedience. Let the Spirit do His work to mold you and help you to continue to grow in your Christian walk. Then you'll be sure to "have a good check-up"!

#169 Mantis on the Table

Praying mantises are one of my sons' favorite insects. (Perhaps because they are large, abundant, and easy to catch.) We seem to have a nice supply of them each summer. The other day, each boy caught a small green mantis and brought it inside. We have some flies in the kitchen and they thought the mantises could get a good meal if they put them on the table and countertop. But there was a problem--those green mantises stuck out like sore thumbs--especially on the white countertop. No fly was stupid enough to even get close to them. There was no camouflage at all. So I put a lime green shirt on the counter. My sons went outside and cut some green twigs from the mantises' favorite shrubs. They arranged the twigs on top of the shirt and the mantises were now nicely hidden (I still don't think they caught any flies, though. Maybe we didn't give them enough time.)

I would be quite happy (delirious with joy, no doubt) if Satan (including his presence and devices) was as easy to detect as that green mantis on the white countertop. Then I wouldn't be deceived by him. I'd know who he was and I'd be sure to stay clear (just like those flies.) But Satan is exceedingly clever: he brings his own camouflage with him wherever he goes. He is a master of disguise, a top-notch chameleon. And, just as we sprinkled cookie crumbs around to entice those flies (trying to help out our mantis friends), Satan knows exactly which kind of lure will work for each individual. It is a real problem! It would be an insurmountable problem if it weren't for our secret defense weapon: those spiritual x-ray glasses that enable us to see Satan as he really is. God offers these glasses but we are responsible for putting them on ourselves. We keep those "glasses" clean by studying God's word so that we can readily detect the difference between God's truth and Satan's lies. We are, after all, admonished that we not be "ignorant of Satan's devices". So, put on your glasses and keep them scrupulously clean (and don't ever leave home without them!)

#170 Tangled Slinky

"Cast thy burden upon the Lord...." Psalm 55:22

My 7-year-old son Alex recently bought a Slinky® with his allowance money. It was a genuine metal slinky--the kind I had when I was a child--not one those new brightly colored plastic ones. In case you are not familiar with this toy, it is a sort of large, loosely coiled spring. Its main claim to fame is its ability to "walk" down stairs (and we live in a one-story, stair-less home!)

Slinkies, like garden hoses, kite string, and Christmas tree lights, have an uncanny ability--a remarkable propensity--for becoming hopelessly tangled. I suppose that if you are one of those individuals who enjoys solving brain-teasing physical puzzles, untangling a Slinky might seem like a picnic in the park to you. Not so for me. I worked on that thing for 30 minutes and left it in worse shape than when I began (this was as bad as those 3D mazes!) I think I might have bent it as well.

Alex had the sense to say "I'll ask Daddy to fix it when he gets home". And sure enough (I have no idea how!) the slinky was untangled. It was not quite as good as new, but at least it was usable again.

Does your life seem to be a tangled mess right now? Every time you try to unravel the snarls and tangles, do you only make things worse? Have you considered dropping the whole sorry mess into your heavenly Father's lap? Do you trust Him enough to allow Him to untangle the mess in His own way and time? My son didn't hover over his Slinky, offering his dad advice on how best to untangle it. He simply left it, trusting his dad to take care of it. And, when the Slinky was returned to him, Alex even remembered to say "Thank you!" How about you?

#171 Glasses are not Swim Goggles

I took my three sons to Pine Lake recently. It is a small lake, close to home, 3 water slides, paddleboats, a pulley ride, diving platforms, etc. We have a season pass and go fairly often. We went the day after another big rain (over 4 inches). The place was deserted. There were a few people over by the diving boards, but we had the shallow part all to ourselves. I left my eyeglasses on to swim, even though I can see fairly well without them. I'd had them on to swim before with no problem. The water was so cool that I didn't want to torture myself by gradually walking in deeper. I stood in the water, on the edge of a ladder and dove under. My glasses must have gotten knocked off in the process. The funny thing is, when I came up, I noticed I couldn't see as well but I didn't even consider that my glasses could have fallen off from such a little dive. I assumed I'd left them in the car (yes, I'm that absent-minded). But when we were ready to leave and I couldn't find them in the car, I knew instantly what had happened.

We all went back to the "scene of the crime". Thankfully, we still had the place to ourselves. We all got in the water by that ladder and started walking around carefully, sweeping the sand with our feet, trying to feel for those glasses with our toes. The water was only about 2 feet deep but it was very murky--there was no way to see anything. When we didn't find it right away, I panicked a little but I was not about to give up (I had to have my glasses--and how would I explain losing them to my husband?) We each said another prayer and, sure enough, my 9 year-old, Derek, found them, not a yard from shore (I never thought to look that close--they must have dropped off immediately, and straight down!) I'll know better than to ever dive again with my glasses on. Eye glasses are not the same as swim goggles, after all. Goggles should fit tightly over the eyes--with those thick elastic straps holding them on. Glasses just sort of rest on the bridge of the nose, and over the ears.

Do we wear our "armor of God" (Ephesians 6:10-18) like glasses or like swim goggles? How about your belt of truth--is it buckled? Or are the ends flapping about? Is that breastplate of righteousness firmly attached? Any loose straps on those sandals of peace? Are you gripping that shield of faith and that sword of the Spirit for all you are worth? How about that helmet? Chinstraps in place? Good. Because this is not a nice pristine mountain lake that we live in (or a chlorinated swimming pool--what a simple thing it would've been to find my glasses then!) This is Satan's muddy pond--he is the god of this age and the prince of this world, after all (usurped, albeit, for but a brief time). We are fighting on his turf, swimming in his murky lake. We need the protection of God's armor and we need to make sure that our armor is tightly secured. Who knows what we might be diving into this week?