Psalms, Milk, Cookies, and Sin

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So John and I have made some lifestyle changes this year. Mostly a change in eating habits, recipe modification, and watching every calorie (I promise Laurie, I haven't forgotten you or Plexus!). But sometimes, I just want something sweet (or a Mt. Dew)! Tonight after supper, I started craving a no bake cookie. Instead of  walking around wanting something I shouldn't have, I switched up the recipe and made a fifty-nine calorie cookie, which I totally enjoyed. And BAM! my craving was satisfied. All I had to do was give in and this ole flesh was easily appeased by a quarter-sized cookie-wanna-be!

As I was cleaning up, it occurred to me that my little cookie was a lot like those 'little sins' we talk about. Although the cookie still had calories and carbs, its size made me feel like it was okay to enjoy it. Now I am not saying it was a sin for me to eat that cookie - but if one leads to another and to another...well, suddenly it becomes a big cookie and my self-control is in full backslide mode! But back to sin...

A few years ago, I asked my brother, Fred, about big vs. little sins and he told me there is no such thing - that sin is sin. It all keeps us away from God and causes us to hurt others; and I agree with him.

The problem with eating that little cookie (or enjoying little sins) is that one by one they deaden our sensitivity to what is good for us. And in the case of sin, what we become dead to is the voice of the Holy Spirit...those little sins eventually carve a path for more and more sin with less and less conviction.  Tonight, I gave in to my temptation and it felt good...but what about tomorrow? Will I wake up, check my bathroom scale and groan? Will the true colors of that little thing show up there?

How about you? What's your little thing?  Gossip? White lies? Disobedience? Alcohol? Drugs? Infidelity? Lack of self-control? Well, if sin is sin, I guess we're all in the same boat huh? Oh...but by the grace of God, Jesus made a way for us to be redeemed - forgiven - accepted - and He loves us no matter what we are bound by! Don't let those little, or not so little, things drown out His voice...
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If you want to do something about that little problem, I found that Psalm 51 (yes the entire thing!) is a perfect prayer to send heavenward; and if Psalm 51 was milk, then Psalm 139:23-24 would have to be its cookie! Good by themselves but even better together!

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