Smiling Sin

Have you ever been reminded how human you are?
It's utterly humbling.  You go along...assuming you can handle whatever comes your way...and mistakenly think not only can you handle it, but you can handle it alone...without God.  Then it happens, some little something that creeps in and sits down - it doesn't attract any attention at first...it's a quiet and unassuming little sin.  It smiles pleasantly.   You glance at it from time to time and come to enjoy it's little happy face and you get used to its presence.  It starts unpacking...gets out a soft pillow to make itself more comfy...pulls out a blanket.  You feel some concern as you notice that it is becoming a fixture...but the little sin is still smiling pleasantly so you push the thought from your mind and know that if you need to at any point, you can take that little sin by the arm and lead it to the door.  A very short time later, you are going about your daily life and you see a flash out of the corner of your eye....  Oh my...your little sin is growing...it's no longer a cute little thing cuddling a blanket and a pillow...those moments are gone.  What now faces you is a sin not quite as attractive...it has grown ...possibly past your ability to control it.  How does that happen?  How does a little cute happy sin turn into a monstrous ugly thing?  But that's how sin works, isn't it?  You are quite comfortable with it in the beginning...so much so that you don't even doubt your ability to handle it.  By the time you become concerned, the sin is no longer sitting quietly.  You have to actively purge it from your life. 
And it is then that you are reminded of your human weakness.  You are reminded that there are things in this life that you cannot handle..and most certainly not without God and a strong Christian friend or two.  Only Jesus Himself was able to live in this flesh and remain untainted by sin....and it is only through Him that we are able to triumph and have victory over these bodies of clay.