Summer is the season for fresh delectable delights – garden produce, juicy fruits, crisp vegetables; truly summer offers a feast for the senses! Recently, I was prepping fresh fruits and vegetables for the week ahead. While washing lettuce leaves, I found a few bits that needed to be thrown in the compost bin. As I threw them away, I thought about how many bits of lettuce I’ve discarded through the years, and for a moment it felt wasteful.

Immediately, my mind went back to a time I kept a few pieces that didn’t look too bad, reasoning that I’d eat them first. Unfortunately, when I opened up my lettuce container to use them, not only were those pieces bad, but they had ruined the perfect pieces all around them.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.” (Matthew 5:29 NKJV). Does this seem extreme?  Maybe it feels that way in today’s culture. But our lives and thought processes should always align with Scripture, and my experience with those lettuce leaves proves the wisdom here. We’ve heard the expression “One bad apple spoils the whole barrel” when referring to friendships, and many of us have been participants or spectators of this devastating destruction.

This Scripture is not advocating self-harm; rather, highlighting the significant threat of sin in our lives, no matter how small. James 1:14-15 states “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” (NKJV)

So, how can you and I get rid of the “nasty bits” that find their way into our lives?

1. Read God’s Word daily. The foundation of truth is not found in culture, social media, or even fellow Christians, influential as they may be. God’s Word is the source of all truth and where our standard of righteousness is found. “For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12 NKJV). The Bible changes us, but we must read and soak in it!
2. Be accountable. Have a couple friends that are Bible-believing, discreet, mature Christians with whom you can be honest. They will ask the hard questions and can help sharpen you. If you don’t have someone like that, start praying for one, and make sure that you are in a position to offer that to someone else. We were created for relationship, and we need one another. James exhorts us: “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” (James 5:16 NKJV).
3. Spend time with the Lord. Not just a once-a-day prayer or a “thank you grace” before meals. But focused time with the Creator of your life and the Lover of your soul. I read a timely, anonymous quote a few years ago: “Bring it to God before the enemy brings it to you.” This seems to echo David’s prayer: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139: 23-24 NKJV). As you allow Him to examine your heart, be sensitive to what He reveals. Humble repentance has to have a place here. He is faithful to forgive and will also equip you to walk in strength – His strength.

There is no such thing as insignificant sin. You and I must take care of the small things – the few blemishes on the lettuce leaves – or we will be left with a rotting mess. While the work and even waste may feel like an unnecessary extra, how many sin disasters, emotional carnage and ruined lives will be spared in the future? Let’s examine our hearts, our thoughts, and our lives today – won’t you join me?

P.S. – I just opened my lettuce container to a pile of sweet, crisp lettuce – beautiful and ready for the best summer salad. Speaking of salads…don’t forget to take a look at the Sweet Vinaigrette recipe I have over on my Projects page. It’s a favorite around here, and I’d love to know if you try it!