In the fall of 2006, my husband, daughter, and I visited my brother in Pittsburgh, PA. Our visit was full of joy, laughter, fun, and exploring new places until..... I stepped off a curb. My left foot twisted, and the next thing I knew I was on the ground, looking skyward, writhing in horrific pain.
Just last Sunday, a dear friend of ours walked out her front door, started down her front steps, slipped on an icy stair tread, and ended up falling down her steps. Fortunately nothing was broken or torn, but she was bruised from head to toe from her nasty spill.
In both of these instances, in a flash, our feet slipped and we fell abruptly and painfully. The speed with which the unexpected tumbles occurred was surprising and disconcerting.
Commission of daily sin occurs in a similar blink of an eye. One minute we are standing upright, and the next we are on our noses or our keisters, flabbergasted, dazed, and ashamed at our current state. Before we are fully aware of what is happening, we become numb to what is right, to what is pleasing to the Lord. Little by little, we inch ourselves into a trap because we have not stayed alert.
How, then, do we, as beloved children of God prevent foot slippage?
Today I see two clear paths to living an upright life.
First, we must know God's will and His precepts to avoid unnecessary sin. If we are unfamiliar with His statutes and guidelines, how can we avoid pitfalls? The simple answer is, "We can't."
Psalm 143:10 tells us, "Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. "
Not only does God give us a life manual, but He sent His Holy Spirit to lead us, equip us, and enable us to stand on solid ground every single day.
Second, when sin occurs in our lives, (and it will), we are to confess it to one another. By honestly confessing these daily mishaps, we are aligning ourselves with God's commands, and we are asking our brothers and sisters in Christ to pray for us to help us avoid our personal hazards.
"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:16
With assurance, we can count on our precious Lord to aid us in our attempt to address, avoid, and conquer daily sin. Jesus was successful in conquering sin, once and for all, so if I am obedient to His leading, sin no longer has the slavish hold on me that it used to. We may trust Him to empower us to avoid foot slippage.
"for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose." Philippians 2:13
In Max Lucado's daily email devotion on 12/14/10, he says, "As a result of being saved, what do we do? We obey God with deep reverence and shrink back from all that might displease Him. Practically put, we love our neighbor and refrain from gossip. We refuse to cheat on taxes and spouses and do our best to love people who are tough to love. Do we do this in order to be saved? No. These are the good things that result from being saved."
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for teaching me to know you and your ways. Thank you for showing me the importance of repentance and confession, and thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to reside in me and your beloved children. You love us so much you not only gave us a manual for upright living, but you provided the perfect Enabler, so we could avoid daily foot slippage.
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