Yesterday, I spent about two and a half hours in the sun. You may assume that I covered my body with sunscreen because it was about 95 degrees.
Nope. I was dumb. I just put it on my face.
I didn’t want to feel like a waxy candle all over my shoulders and neck, so I just felt like a waxy candle on my face.
Later that day, I realized my mistake. I wasn’t just burned; I was fried. My shoulders look like I’d smeared strawberry ice cream on them.
So where am I going with all this chatter about sunscreen and ice cream? Well, I couldn’t pass up such an amazing analogy.
We put ourselves out in the sun and don’t use sunscreen. We lie down on the pavement on a hot summer day and hope we won’t get burned. We put ourselves in compromising situations and expect that we won’t fail.
If you’re three months sober, you can’t walk into a bar and expect to come out still sober.
If you had a porn addiction, you can’t go into the Victoria’s Secret store and expect not to lust.
If you have a spending problem, you don’t go shopping every weekend and expect to have your cash still in your wallet.
We think we’re stronger than we really are. And we need to stop.
Keep these three simple things in mind:
1. Don’t think you’re invincible.
Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. (1 Corinthians 10:12 NKJV)
2. Don’t put yourself into compromising situations.
Don’t test the waters to see if there are sharks.
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. (James 1:13-15 NASB)
3. Be honest and repent when you do fall.
One who conceals his wrongdoings will not prosper, but one who confesses and abandons them will find compassion. (Proverbs 28:13 NASB)
The mountains in this life are tall. We have so many struggles and issues and temptations. The world is a sin buffet.
Sometimes I feel like I’ll never get over such-and-such a sin. I will never stop sinning, but I can take precautionary measures not to mess up.
One thing I struggle with is wasting time on the Internet. I can spend three hours online, but it only feels like 30 minutes. Time flies when I’m looking at recipe blogs and checking my email. If I wanted to limit my Internet usage, I’d need to admit I have a problem. Then I’d need to get away from tempting situations. (For example, I could remove my laptop from my room, leave it off during the day, and find a new hobby that keeps me busy.) Then I’d need to confess my sin to God and maybe to a Christian friend or family member when I spend too much time online.
Unfortunately, I’m not the girl with an addiction to the Internet who overcame her struggle. I’m not there yet. But there is hope I’ll overcome it because “we overwhelmingly conquer through Him Who loved us” (Romans 8:37 NASB). I definitely can’t overcome my addiction unless I try.
Friends, I hope you get over your mountain. There is hope you’ll get over your mountain.
Yes, sin is knocking at the door of your heart; and temptations will always be creeping around. Try to fight them. You won’t win every time. But victory is a beautiful gift from God, and victory won’t happen unless you try.
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