The worm within

    As a believer in Christ I have to admit that I am not always the best example of what a Christian should be. There are moments I catch my self talking or acting in ways that I think to myself "David that is not how a Christian should act". I wonder if I am the only one who has done that, but I am pretty sure I am not. 

    I think that if we will be honest with ourselves and allow ourselves to do a little bit of introspection. We will find that there are moments in our lives that what we say or what we just happen to be doing are not always in line with scripture. I am sure there are moments that you will find your life is not as Christ like as it should be. I am sure of these things because everyone of us are not perfect. 

    As hard as we might try to fight it. As good as we try to be. The fact of the matter is that we all mess up from time to time. We all say things we should not say. We all do things that we are not supposed to do. Why is that? Are we not saved by Jesus Christ? Do we not have the Holy Spirit inside us? The reason why we fail time and time again is because we are all sinners. 

    No matter how perfect an apple may appear on the outside, there is no guarantee that there is not a worm that is eating away inside it. That is because when the apple begins to grow on the tree an insect comes in and lays eggs in the apple blossom. So when the apple begins to grow the eggs that had been laid is now inside that apple. Eventually those eggs hatch and the worm begins to borrow its way around that apple from the inside out. That is why you might find a perfectly fine looking apple on the outside, but on the inside you find the apple is rotten and is being eaten by worms. 

    That is much like our sins and our sin nature. We can present a great outward appearance and present ourselves in the best possible light. We can fool a great many people in believing that we are in fact good. We can even do such a great job of this that we can even convince ourselves of our own goodness. 

    Yet no matter how much we try to do the right thing. No matter how much we try to fight it. No matter how many people we try to fool. We all must wrestle with the fact that we are indeed sinful. That is true about those who are saved and those who are not. 

    As much as we might not want to admit it. Our problems with sin is not the result of some outside influences. It is not because someone made us to say certain things. We don't act a certain way just because of the bad influences around us (though that certainly does not help). Sometimes we make statements like "Well the devil made me do it" and while yes He does indeed attack us, at the end of the day it is you. 

   Let me remind you that the serpent never plucked the fruit from the tree for Eve to eat. The serpent never shoved that fruit in her mouth and made her swallow it. We read that;

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.- Genesis 3:6)

    You see the serpent did its job, but at the end of the day it was Eve who saw the fruit as being good, that it was a delight, and something to be desired. 

   Many years later after the fall of mankind we see another man who had to come to grips with his own sins. His name was King David. Though he was already married he tempted when he happened to see Bathsheba. He was immediately infatuated with her and slept with her even though they were both married. Then when it was realized that Bathsheba was now pregnant. King David doubled down on stupid and tried to trick her husband in believing that the child was his. However David's plan did not work and instead of just confessing his sins, he made it where her husband would be killed in battle so King David could quickly marry Bathsheba before anyone would find out. 

    However, David became convicted of this sin and we see he comes to a place of repentance. I want you to listen to what King David has to say. 

Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.- (Psa 51:9-10)

    David realized that the problem did not rest with Bathsheba and her beauty. It was not because he happened to see her bathing. David understood that the reason why he gave into the temptation rested with himself. The sin issue resided in his own heart. That is why he committed adultery. That is why he tried to hide his sin. That is why he tried to trick her husband in believing a lie. That is why he eventually had Bathsheba's husband killed. He came to the harsh truth that his own heart was not clean. 

    David realized what he needed was for his heart to be cleansed. He realized he did not need to ignore his sin or hide from the truth. He understood that what he needed most was to be forgiven and restored. 

    Lets follow David's Example. Lets not blame the outside influences for our moral and ethical failures. While  striving to run from those temptations that so easily insnare us. Let us also wrestle with our sin nature and not allow those outside temptations be our scapegoat. Let us take responsibility for our own actions and not point the blame on others. 

    Let us seek forgivness from God and let us seek the Lord to create in us a clean heart. Let us desire God to create in us a right spirit within us. Let us not allow the worm of sin to grow and fester, let us nip it in the bud.