The greatest hindrance in our walk with the Lord is our involvement in sin. This keeps us from being able to clearly hear the voice of God and know His will. Sin is like cancer. Initially, it influences a relationship or one area of our life. But if we do not confess it and become free of it, it will begin to influence other areas and eventually spread to become a life of disobedience, dishonor to God, ineffectiveness and unfruitfulness, and distance with the Lord. Sinful attitudes towards others leads to sinful actions, such as, unforgiveness, bitterness, rage, jealous, impure thoughts, sexual sins, lying, gossip and abusive language or actions.
Notice that this passage also says to catch the “little foxes” [Check out https://crownofbeautyintl.wixsite.com/crownofbeauty/post/catching-the-foxes ].
This can mean the “little sins,” things that we do or don’t do that we think are not a big deal though we realize they are not in accordance with God’s will. Some “little foxes” include a “small lie,” self-centerdeness, a small dishonest business interaction, not following through on a commitment, turning your successes to glorify yourself, and sins of omission of not paying attention to serving God in all the ways He calls us to serve (preach the gospel; worship; pray for the sick; care for the needy; care for our environment; love our enemy; use our spiritual gifts; give money and time for the needs of the church, missions and the poor; use our talents, training and experience for God’s Kingdom).
Satan will use things beyond obvious sin to interrupt our relationship with God. Busyness is one of the most common things he uses today. We become so involved with work, ministry, our relationships, and the affairs of everyday life, that we don’t take extended time to pray and study and meditate on His Word. An old adage is “work hard and play hard.” Sometimes our longing to relax, stay fit, keep up on the news, stay connected with friends through the internet, and pursue our hobbies can consume the time the Lord has provided for our focused fellowship with Him.
It is easy, especially through the media, to let the current worldview of our society infiltrate our beliefs and convictions. The Word says that we are to have the mind of Christ (1st Corinthians 2:16). Satan is the ruler of this world (Ephesians 2:1-2), and he has designed a whole set of values and beliefs that he lures men and women into accepting. Peter warns us of this when he says, “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.” (1st Peter 2:11). We need to study the Word of God and seek His standards, convictions, and truths to determine our values and convictions. It is vital that we make our decisions in life based on Biblical values, not the morals and values of our culture. If we spend large amounts of time using media, it can easily become a “fox” in our lives and “wreak havoc” in our souls.
- How has sin in your life affected your intimacy with the Lover of your soul?