When I was a young child our family escaped a potential tragedy. Most of the main appliances in the house, as well as the fireplace, were fuelled by natural gas. A small leak in one of the gas lines put our lives at risk. As the gas poured into our little house, our family was overcome by the lethal fumes and we lost consciousness. Had we not been discovered by a neighbour who happened to stop by for a visit, we all could have been killed by this dangerous, unseen enemy.

As followers of Christ we can also find ourselves surrounded by unseen dangers. The toxic realities of temptation and the weaknesses of our own human frailty can endanger our lives and relationships. Unlike the natural gas in my childhood home, however, these unseen dangers do not come from outside of us—they are within us. James wrote, “Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed” (James 1:14).

Our natural tendency to sin, alongside ‘blind spots’ that prevent us from seeing our own weaknesses, can lead to toxic choices that ruin us. It is only by totally submitting our wants and needs to God (vv.23-25) that we can live a life that pleases Him.

Author

Bill Crowder

Topics

Our Daily Bread