Out of Focus

By Brenda Williams

Romans 7:13 (MSG)
Sin simply did what sin is so famous for doing: using the good as a cover to tempt me to do what would finally destroy me.

I pondered the plight of a friend today as I read this verse. My friend was confronted with sin in a loved one’s life -- and the loved one did not agree that it posed any danger; their choices seemed harmless and perfectly acceptable to them. How could this happen, my friend wanted to know; she thought her loved one knew better.

Insidious sin is just that -- lurking, hiding, waiting for you to relax and acquiesce to the half-truths and dismiss the full truth. It’s possible that wrapped in the layers of what seem to be goodness and light and understanding are the tiny, inch-by-inch steps that lead to ultimate Darkness. In the face of right and wrong, sometimes our sense of wrong is diminished and blurred by daily exposure and cultural acceptance.

So are we doomed, unable to protect ourselves from being fooled by what looks like benign benefit? Not so! God’s word says even though we falter and fail, if we have His Spirit living in us and focus our being on Him instead of ourselves -- our own understanding -- we are free from being condemned, free from worry about our lack of discernment, free to see things clearly, to enjoy the good, to live and fulfill our promise and His vision.

God, help me to focus on You and allow Your Spirit to help me see the good from the feel-good, and discern Your life from sin’s deception.