When We Mess Up

One morning, while out for a nature walk, I observed a group of tiny sparrows mobbing a large hawk perched in a tree. Why did they do that, when the hawk was so much bigger than them? Well, while the hawk looked harmless perched in a tree doing nothing, the sparrows knew it was a threat to their safety, their young, and other animals. The sparrows didn’t want a dangerous predator looming over them, so they continued to swoop and dive at the hawk until it finally flew away.

Watching the sparrows chase away the hawk reminded me of sin in our lives. The violence of these birds is just one instance of the brokenness that entered creation when humans first went their own way against God. Like the hawk, sin may not seem dangerous, but its impact is huge, and even a “small†sin can have devastating results. Our sin affects more than just us; it hurts those around us. Sin is rebellion against God, the One who loves us and created the world good. Our sin brought death and suffering into the world, and every one of us has sinned, fallen short of God’s goodness (Romans 3:23; James 1:14-15).

But God made a way for us to be free from sin through His Son, Jesus. He came to live among us and reveal God’s love for us. He lived without ever sinning, died for our sins, and rose back to life—victorious over sin and death. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we are forgiven and brought near to God. Because of our new life in Jesus, we don’t have to live under the tyranny of sin anymore.

So what can we do when sin and temptation threaten our lives? We can be like the sparrows and chase them away! Because the Holy Spirit is in Christians, we have the power to turn away from sin and follow Jesus instead. And God also provides community—fellow Christians to walk alongside us, help us be aware of the influences that surround us, encourage us to choose our actions wisely, and remind us of God’s unfailing love and forgiveness. If something in our lives keeps causing us to sin, we can get rid of it. When temptations come, we can follow Jesus’s example and fight off temptation with Scripture (Matthew 4:1-11). Sin may seem like a powerful enemy, but Jesus overcame sin and temptation. Because His Holy Spirit gives us His strength, we can too. • Abby Ciona

• When we are tempted to sin, how does God help us? (1 Corinthians 10:13)

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7 (NLT)

Read Verses:

Ps.32.5|Luke.15.11-Luke.15.32|1John.1.9