My husband and I have lived in two houses in our 14 years of marriage, and at both houses, we dug a space for a flower bed all the way around three sides of each house. There were weeds, old, dry shrubs, and dead grass that needed to be removed and burned in order to make way for healthy, colorful blooms. It was hard work. Every muscle in our bodies ached and we had calluses on our hands, not to mention dirt. More than once, we each questioned whether or not such back-breaking work was worth it - but we kept going until we were finished.
Such is the path we must take when dealing with sin in our lives. It's not easy, neat, or clean. On the contrary, it's hard work and it requires us to get our hands dirty, to get sweaty, and to put our backs into it. There is pain, and we often question if the pain and weariness we experience is worth facing at all. We rationalize our sin, convince ourselves that it's not that bad, or vow to do something about it tomorrow. The problem of course is that sin is always bad, there's no way to rationalize it, and tomorrow may never come. Sin always causes pain, and confessing it is in itself painful. When we choose to face our sin, we are called not only to repent unto God, but also to endeavor to repair that which has been damaged in our lives as a result of our sin. Often this involves confessing to others, leaving behind people or places that need to be left, or abandoning a pattern of behavior that is familiar and even comfortable. It hurts, plain and simple. Your humble blogger knows this all too well.
But we're not alone. We have God, who is eager to lovingly hear our confessions. We have Jesus, who took our sins upon His very flesh so that we could be forgiven. And we have each other.
In the previous blog post, I noted that spreading ashes on garden soil greatly enriches that soil. Ashes are not come by in an easy, painless way. They come from the death of something. So, too, does authentic life in Christ. We must be willing to cut out and burn the sin in our lives that keep us from God. It might hurt, but He will not let us be consumed. He stands ready to forgive, and He will lovingly create something extraordinarily beautiful of our lives as a result.
Friends, part of being in a community of believers is that we have the privilege of praying for each other and holding each other accountable. If you are struggling with sin right now, or if you are praying for someone who is, let your church family help. Allow us to lift you up in prayer. Together we will gather the ashes with love and watch expectantly as God creates beauty from them.
If you would like your church family to pray for you during this Lenten season, please leave a comment here or on Facebook and we will be honored to pray for you. You don't need to say what the prayer is for (unless you want to); we are pleased to lift you up in prayer to our Father, who knows what you need. As Christ-followers, there is immeasurable power in our prayers!
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