God is like a dentist...

When I was younger, I was scared to death of Dentists.

It's not a bad experience that created this phobia, it was simply the pain. I'm not a sissy when it comes to pain, but when it comes to my teeth, I can't handle it.
The culmination of the bad dentist experience is the root canal... it's when the root and pulp are beginning to decay and the dentist has to go in and remove that stuff so that you are not in pain anymore or end up with an abscess (which I've heard are far more painful).
What am I getting at here?

SIN

Stick with me here.
When I was younger, I was diligent about caring for my teeth. I had heard that cavities were bad... that they hurt. I didn't want anything to do with that, so I flossed, I brushed and I took care of my teeth. As I got older, some of the things that I was so diligent at took a sideline. Yes, I brushed my teeth, but I would only floss every other day. Flossing soon stopped altogether, and I would forget to brush my teeth before I went to bed. Then the dreaded first cavity.... (enter the scary music)... I freaked out. I had to be honest with the dentist that I was getting lazy. It was embarrassing.
It changed my behavior for the next few months... after all, I didn't want that experience again. I was diligent in my brushing and flossing.... and soon it changed to what it was before. I wasn't flossing every day, I was forgetting to brush at night.

The next time I went, I found that I had to go to a specialist for a root canal.

YIKES!

I can honestly say, it was pretty painful. Chewing was difficult for a couple of days after the permanent crown was put on. I'm keeping up with brushing and doing the mouthwash thing... but I still only floss when there is something stuck in my teeth. Dentists still scare me, but it's more the thought that I have failed at perfect dental hygiene.

Can you relate?

we go to the dentist on a regular basis, and no matter how many times we come in with cavities, they remove them. They chastise us and remind us of the importance of dental hygiene and we go on with our lives.

Are you still with me?

When I first became a Christian, I was excited to learn more. I loved going to awana and sunday school. As I got older, I would read my Bible, I prayed and listened to worship music... But as time wore on, I would forget something one day and quickly make up the next day... then I was willing to let it slip. I wouldn't read my Bible for a week, or I would not pray as much as I should... that was when I would let sin into my life. A small thing at first... and it would grow. If I let it get too far, it would have consiquences, which would hurt... I'd quickly repent of my sin and go back to reading my Bible and praying and going to church. I was scared of God... I didn't want the spiritual smackdown that I knew was coming.
We all know this cycle... we let one thing slip and then we are willing to compromise in another area of our lives. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that most Christians know what I am talking about... and if you didn't raise your hand... well... I hate to break it to you... we aren't perfect... we've all sinned... but there is not a huge Godly smackdown awaiting us... there is only grace.
In college, things got worse. I didn't go to church except when I was at home. I would sit through chapels and ignore what the speaker would say and I was more interested in boys than I was in my spiritual life. But I was really good at faking it. I could pretend better than most people. I prayed when I was in trouble or needed a little help from on high... After running for a while longer, I found that giving in to sin only makes things worse... it hurst more when you come back to God and ask him to remove those sinful desires from your life. It's painful and there are scars... reminders of what a life of sin can do.
These days, I'm in my Bible almost every morning, working through a verse or passage that has caught my attention. I try to listen to more positive music and my prayer life is more like a conversation than prayer.... something will get stuck occasionally, but I turn to God for help, instead of relying on my own abilities and know how to get me out.
We are all guilty of sin... but the best thing about grace? Romans 8:1 is a reminder that there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
No matter how many times we messup or fail, God is right there waiting for us when we turn around. Sometimes, we find that he's been carrying us, because we are no longer able to move.
So you see, God is like a dentist. He removes our sin... it will hurt, but he is doing it for our good. The removal of that sin helps us have a healthier spiritual life. It wil save us a lot of pain in the future! Have a wonderful and blessed Friday!