People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy. - Proverbs 28:13
We have a guest room in our house that gets used when our daughter comes to stay with her husband and four wonderful children. Two weeks after one of their visits, I walked by that room and was greeted by a unexpected foul stench. Knowing I had cleaned after their last visit, I was baffled by the smell! I immediately set out to discover the source. I looked under furniture, opened closets and scoured the room until finally locating the culprit. There, in the back of a dresser drawer was a neatly rolled-up, VERY dirty diaper! Later, after talking with my daughter, we determined it had been placed there by one [unnamed] diligent toddler while helping her mama during a younger sibling’s diaper change. Oh, how little ones love to help!
In some ways, sin in our lives works much like that stashed-away dirty diaper. We can try to hide it and maybe, for a time, it goes unnoticed—though nothing is hidden from God. But after awhile, sin begins to stink and concealing it becomes impossible.
God never wants this for us. Sin leads us away from a close relationship with Him and keeps us from enjoying the meaningful life we were made for. Because of God’s grace, however, we don’t have to hang onto our sin. We can take it to God in prayer with repentance and know that He will forgive us completely—as if we never had that dirty diaper in the first place!
ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS
Sin isn’t something we like to talk about, but something we should bring to God as soon as we recognize it. Invite God to show you areas of your life where sin is creeping in. Talk to Him and ask for forgiveness. Have that conversation with Him and receive a fresh start. His grace is waiting for you.