Wrinkles

Oh, I know - immediately you were thinking of those wrinkles on our faces as we age. What I am referring to is the wrinkles in our clothes, the ones we iron out or in (as the case may be). I am amazed at the number of people I know that don't even own an iron. I'm envious.

It has occurred to me numerous times as I iron that the wrinkles I accidently iron in are a lot more difficult to iron out. A single mis-swipe of the iron creates a wrinkle that is very difficult to get rid of. It takes significant steam and attention to make the surface smooth again.

It's not unlike sin.

Did you ever notice how easy it is to start a bad habit or sinful pattern? It doesn't take much effort at all. But try to break that habit or sin pattern and it will take significant "effort" to overcome it.

Perhaps, like me, you have been aware at times in your life when you stood at the edge of a cliff, tempted to do something that may seem the least painful choice at the moment but once that last step is taken, the free fall into that pattern of choice ensues.

Let me give you a few examples from my own life 15-20 years ago.

I distinctly remember the evening I could have slid into the devastation of bulimic purging had I given in to the tempation to rid myself of the calories I had injested.

I remember the weekend I could have started down the road to agoraphobic isolation and ended up unwilling to leave my home had I not chosen to purpose to go out even when I didn't want to.

Perhaps you can identify with these or similar examples or maybe something more subtle like getting immersed in a soap opera or televsion program that you know is not filling your mind with good and godly things, or maybe the time you gave yourself permission to give full vent to your anger and now your anger is gaining ground in your life.

What wrinkles have you accidently ironed into your life that now you are working to smooth out?

Daily we make choices. We need to make the godly choice, the holy choice, the obedient choice rather than the least painful choice. It often takes just once to begin the insidious decline.

Praise God that daily, by His Spirit, He empowers us to walk, to run away from the lure to destruction and to walk in victory.

Diane