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Tuesday, July 20, 2010

look both ways

We were out in the yard on a recent evening, on “armadillo patrol” with our dog Pierre . It was the hour when they normally come out of the woods, to go foraging through the yard (and digging amazingly deep holes!). My husband and I were ready to run after Pierre , whose age hasn’t hampered his speed. We weren’t taking our eyes off the woods to the right, not for a moment, ready for the armadillo chase (we won’t let him catch one). All of a sudden, there was a flurry of activity to the left, and we pivoted quickly, to find Pierre running in that opposite direction, chasing off a fox! We were so busy looking to the right, that we entirely missed the threat approaching from the left.

Isn’t that how we sometimes are with sin? Many of us watch out for the obvious “big ones,” and avoid those. We don’t cheat on our taxes or spouses, we don’t physically abuse our family members, we don’t murder anyone, nor steal anyone else’s physical property. But what about the sins coming from other directions – what about having a poor work ethic, such as only doing what we “have” to (instead of worknig "as unto God," as Colossians instructs us), stealing songs by making copies on CDs (even when it's not done for monetary gain, it's theft from the artist, and illegal), or arrogance (we feel that we are better than others, or that they are “boring” – what arrogance, to devalue one of God’s children this way!)? I’m sure you can name some, as well (I would be interested in hearing them. I appreciate all the responses that you guys send!). I encourage us all to ask God to “test our hearts,” and help us avoid the sins
that come from ALL directions.

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