Aphids and Sin
“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23).
What a delight it was to drive into our yard after a three-week ministry trip. My eyes drank in the colorful, beautiful flower beds and I gave my inward approval. They had been well looked after. They were alive and vibrant with color, a wonderful contrast to the lush green lawn surrounding them. I was content.
Working in our flower garden, watching them grow, planning and pruning has always been therapeutic for me. The artist in me finds expression in gardening. Even before unpacking, I walked around the garden, checking the flowers. I noticed two specimens that didn’t look healthy. Their stems and leaves were drooping and the flowers weren’t developing like they should have.
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On closer observation, I noticed their stems were covered with aphids. These aphids were sucking the life out of the plants. One flower, the nasturtium, had black aphids – easy to notice against the green stem. The other flower, the dahlia, also had black aphids and had I not looked real close, I would not have noticed them on the black stem. I needed to rid these plants of their life-sucking problems so they could again become healthy.
Upon reflection, I thought to myself: our hearts are like that. Sometimes we feel so listless, we don’t seem to be growing. It could very well be that we have sin in our hearts. David noted in Psalm 32: 3-4:
“When I kept silent (about my sin), my bones wasted away…my spirit strength was sapped.”
Taking a lesson from the aphids, I concluded that sometimes sins are easy to determine – yelling at the children or a spouse or slow drivers, stealing small things from work, lying or gossiping. These are like the black aphids on the green stems of the nastursiums – easily visible.
However, some sin that drains us of life itself is not so outwardly noticeable, like disobedience to the Lord’s prompting, critical attitudes that are not voiced, but are festering in our hearts, impure thoughts, lack of love, lack of prayer, bitterness, withholding information. These sins (closet sins) are more like the black aphids on the black stems of the dahlias. Not seen by others, but draining the life out of us.
Take a moment to check your heart today. Do you have sins in your life (noticeable or secret) that need to be confessed? I encourage you to do so right now.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
When you have done that, ask the Holy Spirit to take control again and empower you to lead a life of joy, peace and love.
Father, thank You for the Holy Spirit, Your Word and Your nature. Thank you for convicting us of sin and then forgiving our sin and empowering us to live a life of joy, peace and love. Help us guard our hearts. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
If you prayed this prayer, we would love to hear from you.
