I’ve considered tossing
my old journals into a bonfire on more than one occasion. But whenever I page
through them, I come across sweet family memories, vignettes from my early walk
with God, and anecdotes about the Latino from youth group who’s now my husband.
Those bits of nostalgia are worth treasuring, so the journals remain.
But what if, each
evening, I dug up my journals and pined away for that guy from tenth grade
study hall?
That’d be ridiculous, on one level—but on a much more grievous level, the fruit of an unfaithful heart. The dusty altars of high school infatuations came crashing down years ago. Resurrecting them in secret would be a sin.
That’d be ridiculous, on one level—but on a much more grievous level, the fruit of an unfaithful heart. The dusty altars of high school infatuations came crashing down years ago. Resurrecting them in secret would be a sin.
In Joshua 6-7 we
read about a sneaky fella named Achan who coveted things devoted to
destruction. When the walls of Jericho fell, God instructed the Israelites to
destroy everything in the pagan city. Achan, however, nabbed some treasures and
buried them in the ground under his tent. His wicked act enraged the LORD so
much that He allowed the Israelites to lose their next battle. When Achan
admitted his sin, he and his family were stoned to death.
Yikes! Thank goodness
for New Testament grace! Yes, our God still abhors forbidden treasures. He
weighs the motives of our hearts and brings everything in darkness into the
light (Proverbs 16:2; 1 Corinthians 4:5). But like the woman caught in
adultery, we can humble ourselves at Jesus’ feet. He forgives our secret sins
and makes us clean again. There’s no condemnation, no stoning.
I’ll admit that I’m skilled
at keeping my tent swept and tidy on the outside. If I’m not careful, however,
secret motives or characteristics of my “old nature” can remain stowed away
under the surface. I’m thankful for the way that God instructs me through His
Word, His Spirit, and through Christian friendships. When hidden treasures come to the surface, I can hand them over, repent, and move on.
