It's just a little thing, right?

Mondays are my rest day. I try to unplug and just relax on Monday. But this week was not so restful.

This past Saturday morning, I noticed that my neighbor's sump pump was working pretty hard. We had lots of rain on Friday night and Saturday so it made sense that water was on the move again. I had the fleeing thought that I hadn't heard my pump turn on yet this year. But I just figured the water want rising in my basement yet. It's just a little thing, right?

Monday morning we had water soaking our basement family room carpet. I checked the sump pump and for some reason the switch hadn't worked. I tapped it lightly and the pump took off. But the damage was done. We spent the next several hours cleaning up. Tons of work because it was just a little thing, right?

And I started thinking about sin. And not the "big" sins, but just sin in general. Often times we categorize sin and think we are not as bad as that guy we read about in the paper or saw on the evening news. I mean, comparatively speaking, it's just a little thing, right?

But that is the very definition of hypocrisy according to Jesus. Luke 18:9–14 - He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: - “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. - The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. - I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ - But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ - I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” 

I think we need a whole lot less confessions like the Pharisee and a whole lot more confessions like the tax collector. Sin is not a little thing. Sin separates us from our Creator and makes fellowship and communion with Him impossible. We can try to sweep it under the rug. We can try to make it look less ugly by comparing to others, but sin is still sin. And God will not be tricked by our little self-deceptions. Sin creates a big mess in our lives. It is not easily cleaned up or even forgiven. After all, our sin cost Jesus His life (see rom 5:8). We need to fall on our faces before our most Holy God and cry out for His mercy. Because it is not just a little thing, right?