Several weeks ago a friend of Pastor Mike Woods, Director of Addiction Recovery Ministries at America's KESWICK, dropped off two white Peking ducks to put on the lake down by the Colony of Mercy. These two precious ducks have become pets to the men of the Colony and would add additional beauty to our lake.
The problem is that we have an adult swan who is very territorial and refuses to let the ducks swim in the lake. As soon as they make attempts to get into the lake, he aggressively comes to chase them away. There is no negotiating with the swan -- he stands his ground and protects his turf.
While I am not particularly a fan of the swan (please, swan lovers, no letters . . . ) it was an excellent reminder to me about keeping sin out of my life. The enemy of our souls wants us to think we can take little steps with our sin. Think about it . . . we make little compromises in
our lives that then lead to falling head first into sin. Martin Luther said "we play with fire thinking we can't be burned."
My son-in-laws dad had open heart surgery while he was in his late thirties. At his recent check-up his cardiologist told him that if he didn't lose 45 lbs. immediately, he was going to die in his sleep. That is radical news with an easy fix. Stop eating the wrong things and exercise. Within 48 hours of the news, he was already cheating! We need to learn from the swan. Don't play with sin. Protect your God-given turf. You are a new creation in Christ Jesus! You are adopted by the Father, purchased and loved by the Son, and sealed by the Holy Spirit. Be vigilant and don't give the enemy a foothold. Flee! Run! Protect! Guard! Don't toy with sin.
Good words for your consideration.
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