Paper Cut Confessions

Few moments compare to those unexpected occurrences when you're hard at work (or play for that matter) and a simple miscalculated move results in an ugly paper cut. Have you ever been trying to complete a large mail order where you have to interact with several envelopes, and one of those suckers finds it's way in between the surface of your skin? Or you are busy opening up a ream of paper and in a hasty yet routine movement you're caught off guard by a swift opening in the small area of your finger skin? If you're anything like me you bellow out a cringing yell, only to realize it's just a small cut and you clutch the area of the cut and reduce your yell to a whimper.

Don't let the small injury fool you. You might not be able to file workers comp, but paper cuts are surprisingly painful and that pain serves as a reminder of its presence on your limb. It's a shallow cut and often doesn't produce much blood, but what we don't see is how our minute pain receptors that lie hidden beneath the skin's surface, have been irritated.

Several times today, my painful paper cut lay seemingly dormant on my finger. But more often than not, the natural movement of my finger and the routine jobs I performed brought the moment of injury back to my mind. What's more, I found myself being more careful when it came to my interactions with other paper products. As the day tarried, irritants such as chemicals and fibers from foreign objects found their way into my open wound because I chose not to take care of it.

In our walks with Christ, though we are Believers, we are not walking in perfection. We aren't expected to do so until we are freed from the presence of sin. But until then, we do have the ability within us to walk in freedom from the power and penalty of sin. This inner power to say "no" to ungodly things was deposited when we trusted Christ (and His resurrection power) as our Savior.

"Salvation is available for everyone! We’re being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life." ~Titus 2:12

We activate this power by asking for the Spirits help in the face of temptation and consistently making this choice builds our strength in these weaker areas. Unfortunately, we don't often yield to this power. As a result, we sin (reject both Gods way and His blessings that come with obedience). What often follows is what's similar to a paper cut. We ignore the chance to humble ourselves and
admit our wrong to our loving Father, immediately. Instead, much like a paper cut, we let it sit and try to forget it's there. Although our wrong action, attitude, thoughts or words may seem insignificant and shallow to us, the sin that results is very real. Yet we treat it as if it's dormant.

However what's occurring is an irritation that is leading to an infection in our fellowship with The Lord. The Lord pleads with us to confess our sins to Him, regularly and often. He longs for the sweet fellowship that accompanies His forgiveness. Like a bandaid He desires to wrap us in the protection of His Promises to forgive us and cleanse us from unrighteous desires.

"If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action]." ~1 John 1:9

Without washing the wound with the soap and water of confession, we are left vulnerable to Satans' convincing lies which end up festering into a swelling of our pride and calloused heart towards God.
The longer we go without taking care of our wound, the more susceptible it is to his foreign objects (lies) and further irritation (loss of fellowship).

"When I kept silence [before I confessed], my bones wasted away through my groaning all the day long." ~Psalm 32:3

My friend puts it this way, "Keep short accounts with God." What he means is at the moment the Holy Spirit convicts you of sin, confess and repent immediately. Take comfort in knowing The Lord only convicts, He doesn't condemn. So if you feel guilt and shame, that's satans irritant, not Gods antibacterial ointment.

So rather than focusing hard on trying to be "good enough", let's just submit to follow Christ's
example in all things. Then when you do fall short (and a paper cut incurs), immediately run to your soap, water and ointment...He eagerly awaits to cleanse your wound and protect you with His bandaid of loving promises. Be encouraged!