I realize that when you attend a church worship service, the idea is that you’re supposed to pay attention. But sometimes, it’s difficult. Sometimes, you have other things on your mind. Maybe you get distracted by somebody in another pew. Or maybe, like at our church, they dim the lights (except those focusing on the pulpit) when the priest or pastor preaches, and you’re sitting there warm, comfortable, and tired, in semi-darkness.
Whatever the reason that it’s challenging to pay attention, I understand. I’ve been there before. So a couple weeks ago, when my 12-year-old daughter, Ellie, was doodling in her bulletin, I understood (especially since, like her, I often listen better while doing something else). Later, my husband found her bulletin and jokingly said, “Ellie, it looks like your mind was wandering during the sermon today.”
“I couldn’t help it!” Ellie said. “I found a pencil, and it was sharp, and well…you know…”
For an artist like Ellie, the allure of a sharpened pencil, some available paper, and twenty minutes of free time was too strong to resist. She drew a beautiful dragon (she’s interested in mythical creatures).
We talked with Ellie about the need to pay attention to the sermon. But we understood why she succumbed to the temptation. Because really, don’t we all give in to temptation for the same reason?
Temptation came my way, and it looked desirable, and well…you know….
Understandable, yes. But not okay. Because usually when we say things like this, we’re trying to justify or minimize our sin. Well, you know, when that kind of temptation arose, what else could I have done?
Those words are nothing but a lame excuse. Scripture tells us that there is always a way out of temptation (see 1 Corinthians 10:13). Yet you and I want to shift the blame for our sin from ourselves to our circumstances so that we don’t feel as bad for having done whatever it was that we did.
God is not fooled. He knows we are the ones responsible. We are the ones who ignored His way out (or didn’t even look for it) and chose to sin.
God promises to forgive our sin when we’re truly sorry. But the only way we can be truly sorry is if we acknowledge what we’ve done. The only thing that minimizing our sin can do for us is deaden our conscience. It can’t actually make us less guilty.
When we’ve sinned, we need to admit it. God, I blew it. Not, Well, God, You know what happens when I find myself in a situation like that.
Only by confessing and repenting of our sin can we find forgiveness and restoration. As long as we try to minimize anything or make excuses, we’ll never have the intimacy with God that our souls crave.
Intimacy that’s far more beneficial to our soul than a false sense of blamelessness.
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. (KJV)