Snow Day

I guess Friday was a memorable day for most of us, anytime that it snows in Alabama is a day to remember. Friday morning as I worked in the snow, I noticed a transformation on my route, something that I have never noticed before. After the snow started sticking I realized that everything was pretty, even the yards that could use some work were pretty because they were blanketed in snow. I do understand this principle, I had tried to apply it to my room when I was younger; it was much easier to hide the mess with a blanket than it was to actually clean it like I was supposed to. This approach never worked for me as a child with my parents and it still doesn’t work for me with Bridget (Yes, I have tried.)

Sadly, I think that there are many people who have tried to hide their flaws with a blanket of good works. As much as we hate to admit it, somewhere deep down we all know that we have messed up. Romans 3:23 says “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” The natural reaction to the realization that we have done wrong is to try to make up for it; that is where the blanket comes in. In an effort to cover up our bad works (sin) we try to do good works, in the hopes that, like snowflakes covering the ground, our good works will somehow cover up our bad works.

There is a problem with snow though, it melts away and reveals a muddy mess. Our good works may hide our sin from the people who look at the outside, but they can’t hide our sin from the One who sees our heart. God looks past the outside and sees our sinful hearts. In the Old Testament, the sacrifices that were offered atoned (covered) the sins of the offerer, but there was no forgiveness of sin. Forgiveness came when the perfect sacrifice was offered (Jesus Christ).

So, I challenge you to take an honest look at your life today, are you just trying to cover your sin with a blanket? The good news is that there is real forgiveness, you can find acceptance by accepting the gift of salvation offered by Jesus. Don’t hesitate, just believe. You can try to escape the bondage of sin on your own and fail, you can try to cover your sin with a temporary blanket and slowly watch it melt away, or you can trust Jesus and be set free. I hope that you will choose Christ.