6.05.2006

The Enemy Without: Acne

Weird title I know..I'll explain later...

So this post has been jostling around in my brain for a couple of days and at first I thought it was foolish to share but I think it's a good analogy to our greater enemy, the enemy within, our sin. If you are unfamiliar with this, it is based off of the excellent book "The Enemy Within: Straight Talk About the Power and Defeat of Sin" by Kris Lundegaard.

Rooming with some girls at NA last week, eventually a morning conversation surrounded girlie things like makeup, hair, eyebrows and the common enemy, acne. As I shared war stories dealing with my acne, I commented that I was battling it again that weekend. One of the girls graciously told me that she couldn't see any and that my face looked really clear. I think I gave her a weird look, like what are you talking about?, which I hope she didn't see. I thought about it later, but not in a self conscious-checking-my-face-every-15-minutes-way. What got me thinking was how I was disbelieving what she had said about my face being clear. I know she wasn't giving a fake answer like when you ask some of your girlfriends if you look bad in a pair of jeans and they say no, but you really do.

Over the past days, I thought about her comment and it made me think of when I'm battling sin, especially sin that has been present for many years. I've had acne since I was a pre-teen and now I'm in my late 20's. I don't even have to look at myself in the mirror or touch my face, I know it's there. I've had some good seasons and some bad seasons with my acne. Thankfully, now it seems my acne is under control with the system I am using and being consistent with it. Consistency is key gals and good makeup as well.

Like my acne, I know my sin is present by the grace of God showing me my sin. I don't even have to go looking for my sin and it's been there for a long time. There are seasons where my sin is spilling out everywhere and other seasons where it seems that it is finally gone. The cure is the free gift of God's son dying on the cross for my sins. Jesus Christ took the punishment that I richly deserved and transferred his righteousness to me. Sin is still present in my life, but it no longer has dominion over me and one day I will be in the presence of my Savior and God and free from the presence of sin as well.

So what does a story of battling acne have to do with battling sin? Well, just as someone encouraged me that I was gaining ground over my acne, we need to be encouraged, daily, with evidences of grace that God is working in our lives and gaining ground over our sinful hearts. As it says in Hebrews 3:13 "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." I was hardened by the lie that I had acne currently on my face, hardened enough that I rebuffed a sister's encouragement and felt that the lie I believed was the truth.

A brief tangent about lies, especially the lies that sin will tell us: Lies are still lies, even if they are over 15 years old. They don't become truth just because they've been around for so long. Lord, help me to be discerning between what is truth and what are lies. I need your help Lord.

I want to encourage everyone reading this to consider sharing an evidence of grace to someone in your life. It could be your parent, roommate, boss, coworker, husband, child, neighbor, check out lady, favorite blogger, etc. Your encouragement will help them be free from the deceitfulness of sin in their life which in turn will help them be free from their sin.

Toodles,

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