"Little" Sins

I John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

I really do have a sore toe. Actually, it's just the tip of the middle toe on my left foot. It's a very tiny place, but it certainly is interfering with my happiness and well being. It hurts every time I take a step, and it often throbs even when I'm trying to sleep at night.

Sometimes we commit what we call "little sins." They don't seem very intrusive or significant. Surely they aren't such a big deal. But, somehow they manage to interfere with our happiness and well being, with our relationship with our Heavenly Father. There come nudges of unease, like an unseen person poking us in the ribs. Our pleasure in prayer or God's Word or fellowship with other Christians is not quite as keen.

Sometimes our misdeeds are very obvious and crippling to our lives. We might equate what we call the "big sins" to a golfer whose ball lands in the woods, thuds into a bunker, or splashes into a lake.The "little sins" equate to the golfer who misses the fairway and lands in the edge of the rough. Just as the high grass in the rough impedes the next shot, so "little sins" hinder our spiritual walk and steal from our joy. They cause us to miss the center, the sweet spot, of God's will.

There's really no such thing as a "little sin." Any sin is a matter of disobeying God. Wherever we have breached God's will for us, the sweetness of our walk with Him has a bitter edge. A tender conscience, which compels us to face and confess even the tiniest of infractions, is a great gift. It helps us keep walking right in the center of God's will for our lives.

Father, I pray that each of us will walk right in the center, the sweet spot, of Your perfect will for us. Give each of us a tender conscience and encourage us to confess every time we sin, to keep short accounts with You. Amen.