But
everything exposed by the light becomes visible--and everything that is
illuminated becomes a light. Ephesians 5:13
There is a
dessert served in our area named the “sinfully delicious dessert.” I promise
you, it is really delicious. It has crescent rolls involved, cream cheese,
butter, cinnamon and sugar…need I say more. Yum! The name always took me aback,
though. It always left me theologically contemplating over my dessert. Is it so
fattening as to become sinful? Should I really eat something and enjoy it
titled sinful? Why does its deliciousness exceed goodness so much that we deem
it “sinful?” Tell me I’m not the only one who overthinks these things.
Obviously, I eventually give up contemplation and dig into my dessert and enjoy
the conversation around me.
On the same
note, one of my favorite nail polish brands is called Sinful Colors. I really
like it, it lasts longer than regular store polish, it does have great color
options available, but sinful? I don’t get it. What makes it sinful?
Our culture
is simply ok with sin. It’s normalized and even in the church we can become
numb to the reality that sin is destructive and pervasive. It eats away not
only at specific parts of our lives, but our hearts, and the space made by the
Spirit for God to reside.
I think
gossip, is like my “sinfully delicious dessert” or my “sinful colors” nail
polish. It’s the pretty sin. It’s just so stinking tempting. It makes me feel a
little better. It may even bring me “friends” for a moment, willing to swap
stories and share heartaches caused by others. I want people to desperately
understand my struggle, but I need to be on guard that it doesn’t cause me to
sin. Gossip is so tempting in the pastor’s wife world because we feel like we
can’t be heard. Sometimes we just want to scream, “Is anyone listening? Did
anyone notice I’m here?” and there are people who have wronged us. Most of us
have had some kind of hurtful experience in the church, big or small.
Ephesians
5:13 speaks to revealing sin for what it is. Sin, brought before God, i.e. “God
this is so hard for me. This person really hurt me. I’m angry, I’m sad. I’m
just so tired…” is now in the light. Exposed, it has no place in my heart, no
power over my life. In fact, this verse tells us that the sin exposed is now a
light itself, pointing others to mercy and grace. God promises to use our very
struggle and turn it into ministry.
Let’s paint
on some new nail polish – “Colors of Amazing Grace”. May our lives and our
speech be coated by Him. May my pretty little toes point to the change of
Christ in me instead of being sinfully delicious in this world with enough sin
already.
