I was attacking a conglomeration of spider webs in the corners of my bathroom today. Seems like that’s one of those household jobs akin to doing the dishes: you’ve barely finished when it’s time to start all over. Those spiders remake their webs as quickly as I can destroy them. I suppose the smart thing would be to go after the spiders themselves. But being a generally warm-hearted person towards all things living (mosquitoes being one exception), I ignore the spiders and simply continue my undying war against their trappings.
How similar to cobwebs are those sticky character issues in our lives. It seems that one occasion of victory is simply followed by another battle along the same vein. How easy to simply focus on cleaning up the mess that crops up in the corners of our lives and miss the insidious spiders causing problems in the first place. Some of the cobwebs that crop up in my life include laziness, impatience and worry about the future. The spider behind the mess simply goes by the name selfishness.
God is not as squeamish about killing some things as I am. He goes right after the spider in His efforts to restore my condition. It is pretty uncomfortable; truth be told, I might prefer to let those spiders live. But the Bible makes it pretty clear: It’s either the spiders or the Spirit. Which one will I partner with today?
“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” Galatians 5:24-25