Come On In...It's Not That Bad

You know that part of late Spring when it's quite warm outside, but the pool water is still quite chilly? If you have kids, you know there is no way you can explain to them why it's still too cold to go swimming.

Back in early May, we ventured over to LB"s parents one afternoon to let the girls swim a little. We figured we'd just put our feet in while we watched them...and we figured the water would be too cold and they wouldn't last long.

Once our 4 year old got in and started splashing around, she said, "C'mon Daddy, come swim with me. It's not cold." I could see the water temperature wasn't stopping her, so I stuck my toe in a little. You know, she was right...it wasn't that bad. I figured I'd just jump in and then I'd get used to it. Next thing I know, I am putting on my swimsuit and sunscreen and getting myself ready to go.

And then it happened. I jumped into what may have been the coldest water I have ever felt in my life. I'm pretty sure I instantly turned blue and my blood froze! When I came up from my kamikaze jump, our 4 year old was in the shallow end laughing with a "I got you, Daddy" kind of laugh. Mischievous little girl!

I got out...immediately!

When I see and hear the stories of prominent leaders failing morally, my default thought is, "Man, how could he/she let that happen" or "What was he/she thinking?" Shortly after that, I think, "That will never happen to me." How foolish.

No one wakes up one morning and decides to wreck their family, career, reputation, and countless relationships. It's a progression...it starts slow and small and grows until it's bigger and worse than they ever thought it could be. Sort of like jumping into ice cold water after your daughter made you think it wasn't that bad and you stuck your toe in a little.

Again, Psalm 1 speaks to this by saying what the blessed man doesn't do...

"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers..."

See the progression...walk, stand, sit? The idea is that no one "falls" into sin. We sin our way into deeper sin. The choice to ignore the opportunities God gives us each day in favor of opportunities that are not of Him puts us on a course towards the seat with scoffers...and scoffers are godless people who literally shake their fist at God and dare Him to get involved in "their" lives. You don't get there overnight...it's a progression. It starts small and then it grows until it outgrows you and it can't be hidden anymore.

It's that one glance. That one thought. That one handshake. That one comment. That one commitment. It all matters...every choice, every opportunity. We're kidding ourselves if we think we're immune to destructive sin. Chances are, there are areas in your life and mine where the progression has already begun because we chose not to join God in what He had for us to do and we went our own way.

So how do you hear the voice of God and know the opportunities that are of Him? We'll go there tomorrow...

Comments

[jason salamun]

first of all, it sounds like your daughter is as sneaky as mine. I hate clowns and every night she puts a clown drawing on my bed to freak me out.

your post is so true. sin does have a snowball effect. your post is making me pause to examine my own life.

thanks for the good word.

[A NOTE FROM JAY]

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typepad shut down my account before i could get a post up telling everyone how to move over and update feeds. sorry!

thanks for reading!

jay

[210 Leadership Blog]

Dooooooood !!!!

That is such a timely word Jay. Excellent post.

We have to be so vigilant. I love what my old college professor once said: "Just like a woman examines her body for lumps, so the Child of God must examine themselves to check for those little seeds in our lives, that WILL GROW in time, and bring our ultimate destruction."

That's why need the word of God daily. To help us examine ourselves under the glorious light of God's word.

Nicely done brother.

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