You ever have one of those meals you are eating and something just doesn’t taste quite right, just a little hinky? Last week I was eating a hamburger and fries at a hospital in Tulsa in their cafeteria. Jill was with me and she had chicken strips and fries.
I loaded the burger up with lettuce, pickles and a slice of tomato. I also put on some mustard and bbq sauce. Then for flavoring I added some salsa and hot sauce. All in all it was a good burger…except for a flavor that just didn’t seem right.
As the day went on, my stomach started to churn a little but I didn’t think much of it. Probably all the hot sauce. Then the rumble turned into a slight pain and discomfort. I knew then that something was a little off. During the ride home there was no doubt something I ate did not agree with me. I got some water and concent rated on something else. It seemed to work and I thought maybe this was going to pass. However, by the time I got home, I knew that burger was going to cause me some problems.
I changed my clothes to pajamas and went to bed thinking that I could just sleep this on out. So I went to bed, pulled the covers up over my head and closed my eyes. After about an hour, the stomach was doing flip-flops. I was trying to decide whether I could swallow deep and breathe deeper to make this pass or did I need to make a mad dash to the bathroom.
I should probably tell you I do not do throwing- up well. Seems like I do not do sick well… at all…ever! But I kept thinking this is going to pass. Just hang on.
So, I sat on the edge of the bed contemplating my next move. Jill, being the loving wife she is, came in the bedroom bringing a trash can with her. She asked, “Do you think you will need this?” And was I ever grateful. The thought of hugging that commode was less than appealing.
Trash basket in hand, breathing deep and… well the inevitable did happen. It was a bad situation and an additional trash basket was required. After about 30 minutes of vomiting and the beginning of some dry heaving, the whole thing was over. I drank some water, brushed my teeth and took some more nausea medicine (threw up the first batch) crawled back in bed and slept the rest of the night. Let’s just say I won’t be eating any hamburgers for a while.
My goal in this article is not to gross you out or make you nauseous but does have a point. I have just described sin! Yep, like that hamburger, sin tastes good. You can dress it up in an assortment of ways. Looks pretty, desirable and meets the need of my hunger. Yet, while you are eating, there is that taste of something not quite right. You remember it from somewhere, maybe a sermon, a particular scripture or perhaps a lesson from Sunday School … naw, not that.
Just like that bad burger in my belly just a brewing and a stewing, so is the sin in our lives. It just sits there, in the background, unnoticed. It may cause a little discomfort (guilt) but it soon passes. And if the discomfort continues, we just play it off and think about something else. The feeling passes and continue on.
However, the feeling doesn’t just go away. It just keeps it presence known. And then, when you can’t control it, here it comes! Like the bad burger, you can’t suppress it any longer and your body expels it. Sin is like that too. You can’t hide it. You can’t suppress it. You can’t mask it. It will ultimately break free.
And just like being sick, it can make a small mess or it can make a HUGE mess. You do not get to control it. I took some medicine to help with the nausea and God has a solution for sin. It is called repentance. Ask for forgiveness and turn around from your sin and you will start to feel better.
And like my displeasure for a hamburger any time soon, so should the lure to the sin you just left.
The next time I am eating something that has the hinky taste should be an alert to me to quit eating whatever I’m eating. So it is when I am doing or getting ready to do something that makes me question if it is pleasing to God, I should just back away.
Now, I just need to figure out something to eat.
Bro. Tim
