As a little boy, I enjoyed playing with my neighborhood buddies while looking for new kids to hang out with during the summers. Most of us were alike. We stayed outside all the time and created our own games. Only one of our friends had air condition at his house. One day, he invited us to go watch cartoons, drink Kool-Aid, and cool off from the summer heat. This seemed like the right thing to do from a nine year old boys’ perspective. It wasn’t long before time got a away and I realized I needed to be moving on. Living four houses down the street, I figured I was safe. As I began to walk towards our home, I saw police cars in our drive, my mother sitting on the porch crying, and several neighbors in the yard. Thinking a crime had been committed or assuming something was wrong with my parents, I was scared. As I approached everybody, I figured out the reason for all the commotion was because those who cared about me felt I was lost!
Others realize you are lost before you do. Sin has a grip on you so tightly you don’t even realize it. Sin is enticing (James 1:12-16), deceptive (Heb. 3:13), pleasant for a short while (Heb. 11:25), and enjoyable at times (Heb. 11:25).
How do you respond once you realize you are separated from God? Are you like David and blame others (II Sam. 11:1f), or do you lie like Ananias & Sapphira (Acts 5)? Scared as I was, I accepted responsibility for my actions that summer day.
When sin has power over us, we should seek God’s forgiveness (Psalm 85:2) and be obedient (Matt. 7:21). My parents taught me not to be swayed by others, but I didn’t listen. Scripture tells us about sin’s trap. Being lost means being cut off from God. God & others are concerned about sin, are you?
