Little Sins Can Lead to Big Problems - The Crosswalk Devotional - July 17
Little Sins Can Lead to Big Problems
By Whitney Hopler
Bible Reading:
“… Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch – as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” – 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, NIV
Recently, I joined other volunteers to clean up trash in an area near a stream that flows into the Chesapeake Bay. Our goal was to reduce the amount of toxic runoff and pollution entering the bay. As I walked along, I picked up little bits of trash like cigarette butts, plastic straws, and discarded pieces of broken toys. Individually, each piece of trash seemed too little to cause much harm. But when I filled a huge trash bag with all those little pieces of trash – and when I saw all the bags that other volunteers were filling with trash – it became clear to me that all those little bits of trash added up to a big problem. They polluted the watershed, harmed wildlife, and contributed to a larger environmental crisis.
Just like a little bit of trash can add up to a big physical problem, little sins can add up to big spiritual problems in our lives.
The Bible makes that point in 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 when it describes yeast in bread. We only need a little pinch of yeast when we’re baking. The yeast will steadily work its way through the entire dough, making it rise. The sins we may consider to be little – such as a few words of gossip, a so-called white lie, a quick burst of anger, or procrastinating when God is calling to act on something – might feel minor. We might think those sins are no big deal. But just like a little bit of yeast, even a little bit of sin can spread. If we don’t clean up our little sins, they can affect our entire spiritual well-being by corrupting our thoughts and damaging our relationships with God and other people.
So, how can we “get rid of the old yeast” and live with “unleavened bread of sincerity and truth”?
We need to first be honest about the reality of sin, no matter how small it seems. We often downplay our mistakes by making excuses or comparing ourselves to others who are sinning more. But God’s standard is holiness. God wants us to be holy by doing our best to live in ways that honor him and reflect his holiness. We also need to regularly confess our sins to God in prayer and repent by turning away from our sins and back toward God. Finally, we need to embrace God’s grace to purify and refresh us. We don’t clean up our lives in our own strength. Jesus is the Lamb of God who has already paid the price for our sins – the big ones and the “little” ones alike. His grace is a powerful force that works within us to transform us.
Just like we have to remove trash from our homes and neighborhoods on a regular basis, we have to regularly clean up the sins in our lives. We need to ask the Holy Spirit to show us the areas of our lives where the “yeast” of sin might be spreading. Then we need to confess, repent, and rely on God’s Spirit to help us change.
When we clean up little sins, we prevent them from becoming big problems, which protects our spiritual health.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
As you consider how little sins can lead to big problems, reflect on these questions:
- Can you think of a “little” sin in your life that, if left unchecked, could grow into a larger problem?
- How does the analogy of yeast in dough help you understand the impact of sin?
- What is one specific “old yeast” (a sinful attitude or habit) that you sense God might be leading you to get rid of this week?
- How does remembering that “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” encourage you when you think about pursuing holiness?
- What can you do today to embrace God’s grace and help to clean up and refresh an area of your life?
Further Reading:
1 John 1:9
Romans 6:1-2
Proverbs 28:13
James 1:14-15
Hebrews 12:1
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/nathan4847
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