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We’ve had two bad falls in our family within the last month. First, I tripped on something while I was on a walk and landed hard on my left knee, breaking my patella in two. About three weeks later, my daughter (who is my caretaker during recovery from surgery) tripped over a small fence in my front yard. She scraped her left shin badly (which became infected), reinjured an elbow, and hurt all over.
Both falls were instantaneous. My brain knew I was falling almost before I started tipping over. I just had enough time to holler, “Oh, no!” before I was down. My daughter fell right in front of her husband and me: one minute she was moving towards the house, then she was on the ground before either of us could react. All we could do was stand there in shock.
Thinking about how quickly these falls happened reminded me of how we can so quickly “fall” into sin. It can be as simple as the chocolate cake my daughter brought me the other day. My mobility is limited due to surgery and I’m gaining weight, so I vowed to cut back on sweets. But, instead of telling her, “Thanks, but no thanks,” I picked up my fork, took that first delicious bite, and ate the whole piece. It could be that first negative or malicious thought that pops unbidden into our head; instead of asking God to remove it, we grab on to it, nurture it, and eventually take action. In fact, most sins start with that first small thought that the believer does not reject.
"For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me." (Romans 7:19-20 ESV)
Even Paul struggled with this, as we will until we are with Jesus in heaven. Our old self, sometimes called “the flesh”, unfortunately remains with us even after we accept Jesus into our life. But praise God, we are not alone in our struggles. First, "if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9 ESV). Then we are assured: "But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." (1 John 2:1 ESV).
"But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." (Romans 13:14 ESV).
Despite our tendency to fall into sin, we can grow and mature in the Lord. We have the Holy Spirit working in us, Jesus advocating for us, and our Father loving us as day by day we are renewed. We can trust that God’s promises are true!
Father, thank You that You love us despite our failures, that You have provided the means of forgiveness and the support we need in this life on earth. Amen
Sharon Cook
Apache Junction, Arizona
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