Cookie is our puppy who came into our family as a birthday gift for my son. Cookie was a miraculous provision by God. We did know that a puppy came with a lot of responsibilities. However, the responsibility of taking care of a puppy seemed easier when compared to the suffocation I felt during the Pandemic quarantine. Cookie is a very furry breed and whenever he comes back from grooming, once in a couple of months, he comes back with all the fur shaved off. It was very hard to see him with no fur and I could also sense that he felt stressed with the visit to the groomer and the loss of fur each time. I consequently kept postponing his next visit to the groomer. His grooming needs were hence, past overdue, and although we tried to keep up with brushing his fur and trimming it at home, we eventually found out that in addition to a few lighter matted spots, he had 2 huge bunches of matted hair behind his ears. I quickly read up on how to get rid of these without having to take him to the groomer. I spent a few hours, using the detangling spray and comb and scissors and was able to remove about 60% of the matted hair on both sides. As I got closer to the skin, it seemed extremely difficult and Cookie started to get very restless and I realized that I had no choice but to take him to the groomer again. However, through this, I learnt a valuable spiritual lesson, if I may put it that way.
As I started working on removing the matted hair, I felt how difficultly tangled the hair was. And I realized, is this not how Sin is? It starts off with one small sin, like a small tangle, a small knot, which pulls in a bit more and then a bit more and in no time, before we realize, it becomes a big bunch of matted mess. We cannot untangle ourselves from this mess. Unless someone is kind enough to painstakingly spend time to go through the patient process of detangling which is painful for both parties, there is no escape from it. No magical redemption from it.
Sin has such a downward spiral effect. In the garden of Eden where everything was perfect and God saw that everything was good, sin entered through disobedience. Because sin enters in a subtle way and then does not stay subtle, it’s next stop from disobedience, was murder of Cain’s brother Abel. From disobedience to murder was a steep drop as in a rollercoaster ride. And today, here we are living in a completely evil world, wicked at its core.
Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Romans 5:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen!
1 John 1:8,9 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
May we confess, may we repent, and may we pray to our Christ Jesus to cleanse us from all unrighteousness!
Amen.
Cookie – after getting all the matted hair removed.
Please visit the Christianbook.com to purchase Bibles, Journals, books and many more to help learn the Word of God.
