Several weeks ago, I posted an illustration about trusting God in the storm that I often think of and apply in difficult times (see it here). Here’s another more personal one that’s proven insightful to me:
Several weeks ago, my wife and I discovered that our dishwasher was leaking – but not so much that we noticed it before it apparently caused some damage to our hardwood floors. What was a small unnoticed drip of water over time created a problem that’s taking much effort and time to fix. The damage is great enough that an outside company has now pulled up some of our flooring, and they’ll be replacing it before sanding and refinishing our entire bottom floor.
Just a drip. A small amount of water.
Unseen, even.
That is, until its damage was great enough that it became noticeable.
So much of life is like that. We assume that our “drips” of sin – less significant sin, we think (whatever that means); unseen; seemingly causing no problem – must not be that big a deal. After all, our little sins haven’t created issues in the past, so why should they now? The drips, though, slowly eat away at our foundation and cause lasting damage if we don’t address them now.
Or, we don’t deal with our “drips” of bitterness and frustration toward other believers. After all, it’s just a small issue. We sometimes decide, “Yes, I’m angry and hurting, but I’ll just keep it to myself.” The drip continues, and the damage can become so great that it takes great effort to foster forgiveness and reconciliation.
I want to deal with my “drips” today. Where are the drips in your life today? What do you need to change today to avoid problems tomorrow?
