The Root of the Problem

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,"

Hebrews 12:1

I love to weed my garden after it rains; why? Because I can pull the weed out by its roots.  When the ground is hard and dry, most of the time, I end up breaking off the top of the weed, leaving the root behind.  The result: the same weed, in the same place, only rooted deeper into the ground. The next time I try to pull the weed out, it is more resistant and more difficult.  It may even require some digging!

I have a doctor's appointment later on this afternoon. I'm seeing a third doctor for the same problem.  Why? Because no one knows the root of the problem. I've only been given medications and suggestions for the symptoms.

Our besetting sin works the same way.  When we only deal with the symptoms of our sin, that sin will only get rooted deeper into the soil of our lives. It will continually weigh us down in the race we are running.

Isn't it funny how we will often times go to God and ask Him to deal with our sin symptoms, but we don't ask Him to remove the Root of our besetting sin? That's because we really don't want God to identify our problem, we only want help from the consequences of our problem.

But God wants to deal directly with the root of our problem; call it what it is, SIN.  

Why?

Because we are new creatures in Christ.

Because people are witnessing our race.  

We are to bring glory to God.

Because God has dealt with our sin problem.

Because we have been freed from the bondage of sin through Jesus' blood!

The list could go on and on...

Why carry the symptoms of sin when the root has been destroyed by our Lord Jesus Christ?

Proverbs 28:13 says, "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy."

Remove the root of the problem...

    Confess, Forsake, Surrender...

        We have a race to run, and people are watching...

        But that's just me!