“It’s Only Snow”

“It’s only snow. You need to apologize to your son!” I was too furious to listen to my wife’s words. My son had just arrived at our house. I was halfway through snow-blowing the driveway. Without thinking, he tried to get his truck up the driveway and got stuck. All the maneuvering that came next tore up my lawn. It also packed down the remaining snow, making it impossible to clear with the snow blower.

“What are you doing? This is crazy!” I roared at my son. He stormed out of the house. For days, we didn’t speak. I knew I shouldn’t have treated him like that. But I was too angry to apologize. I wanted him to apologize to me! I wasn’t ready to deal with my sin.

We all sin. Jesus tells us it’s vital to deal with the sin in our lives: “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off!” What he wants is for us to be ruthless in how we confront sin.

One key reason for this is our influence. As Jesus’ followers, we’re leaders to those just beginning the faith journey. It’s a terrible thing, Jesus says, for a disciple to teach one of his “little followers” to sin. Another reason is for our own good. Sin has the power to destroy our lives and our relationships.

Do we really need to cut off our limbs? No. The key is to confess and repent as quickly as possible. Jesus is just as quick to forgive and restore! It took me a few days, but I was able to apologize both to God and to my son. It was humbling. But the joy of my restored relationships was worth it. It was only snow. I’m thankful it didn’t turn into something far worse.

Respond in Prayer

Holy God, you can’t stand even a hint of sin. By your Holy Spirit, help me to see my sin the way you do, to come to you in confession, and to let you remove it before it does lasting damage. In the name of my gracious, forgiving Saviour, Amen.

Leonard Buhler