The Road from the Penthouse to the Outhouse

You confess your sins. You make everything right with God. You commit your live anew to Him and you believe that nothing will sway you from your devotion. Life is a commitment to the God you love. You read your Bible daily, pray for those who do not know Christ and give generously. You are the example that every Christian should follow.

Two weeks later no one observing you would know you are a Christian. How do you go from the penthouse of God's presence to the outhouse of a life without Him? Very simply: one day at a time.

The road from the penthouse to the outhouse takes little steps. Sometimes the steps go unnoticed. They are neither noticed by others or the one taking these steps. It is the attitude in the heart or the sharp word to the checkout clerk or the honking at the driver who pulled ahead of you. Maybe the reactions are normal but they go unchecked. They lead to further steps. The steps get longer every day.

The road may feel good at times. Someone compliments you. You feel the pride. You start taking credit for all of it. It had nothing to do with your teachers, your parents or your God. You did it and you want to take full credit. It feels good but it leads to an independence from God.

The road often involves our emotions. I have found that emotions will lead people to do things they never would have done otherwise. They will flirt because it is exciting. They will yell because they are angry. Simon Peter could tell you that fear can make you curse and deny the One you said you loved.

Sometimes the road makes sense. I served in a church which had continued to refinance its debt for years. They owed more than they had originally borrowed and had made no payments on the principle. They thought it made good sense to pay with inflated money rather than the money they had now. The Bible says that the wicked borrow and do not repay. They did not see themselves as wicked. However, when they learned what the Bible said they got out of debt very quickly. Sometimes sinfulness is hidden in contemporary sense.

We all have deviated on this road at some time in our lives. It takes us away from God. It squeezes the joy out of our lives.

We must guard our hearts if we want to stay off this road. We must check our hearts to see if we are already on it.

The road from the penthouse to the outhouse is short. Be careful. It is right around the next corner.

197.0