Monster

   One summer evening, one of my sisters and I were sitting on the couch watching TV. We began to fight ( I don't remember what it was about but it probably was something small) and I picked up my glass of water and was about to walk away. Suddenly I couldn't take it any more. I splashed her in the face with my half-cup of water. Time seemed to slow. Before it hit her face I wished I could turn back time. It slapped her smack in the face! She gasped and stared at me, mouth wide open, tears forming. I ran.  I felt so ashamed.  I felt like a monster.

   Have you ever done something that you wished you could take back? Maybe you've done it out of anger like me, revenge, annoyance, jealousy, lust. Everyone has done more then one thing that made you feel like a monster. 

                               Sin
     Sin is the problem.  Paul says in Romans 7:16-20 "I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out." That's from v.18, does that sum it up? I remember reading that in a youth group Bible study once. We laughed as we read through and got tongue tied. Yes, it can be a little ridiculous the way Paul wrote that, but, isn't that the point? Sin doesn't make sense. 

     It's like playing in mud. Its cool and the smooth texture between your hands and feet feels nice. Your mother asks if you want to help her make cookies. Oh yeah! Excitedly you follow her to the house but she explains that she'll have to clean you off first. How dare you? you may think. The mud feels so good. But is it really okay to stay that way? Then your mother gives you two choices. "Either you stay outside and play in the mud or, you can come in the house and help me make cookies."
    Man, cookies sure do sound good but; it was fun playing in the mud. What if it hurts cleaning the mud off or worse. What if I can't play in the mud ever again! 
     After a few minutes of thought you agree because  you feel so hungry. It does hurt getting the mud off. The grains of sand scrape your skin and you begin to cry. You start struggling to cover your raw skin with mud. Your mother hugs you and tells you that when you're clean it will feel better. You look into her face and you know its going to be okay. After it's all gone you go in together and the cookies are so much more better then the mud. You even get a cold glass of milk, too! 

     It's like that with Jesus. He doesn't want us to wallow in our sin and become slaves to it and act like beasts. He offers us life with Him, eternal life. If you have accepted Christ or are thinking about it, let me tell you that those grains of sand/sin will still scratch you while living here on earth. You may want to run back to the mud but, Jesus provides a way out. 

          We are monsters because of our sin. There is nothing we can do to change that. Jesus Christ came to earth to change that! He Died on the cross and has defeated sin and wants us to join Him and believe that He has done that. He can and wants to take that monster out of you.