Seepage

Every once in awhile I use painter’s tape, and then remember why I don’t like it. It seems like such a great tool! Simply apply, paint to the edge easily, remove, and voila! There should be a beautiful crisp line of paint. But no. Seepage happens. The paint finds a way to ooze under the tape and across the border I wanted. 

We had the hardwood floors and stairs refinished before we moved into our house a few months ago, but we still had trim to paint. Tape would surely protect our new wood finish from any stray white paint! As you can see, it did not.

We may put borders around our lives just like that tape. Instead of keeping the paint out, we try to keep out the sin! We try to see just how close we can get to temptation without getting tainted. But no matter how careful we are, seepage happens. We can’t keep ourselves perfect, no matter how hard we try. Well then, what do we do with the command of Leviticus 20:7? “So set yourselves apart to be holy, for I am the LORD your God.” The answer lies in verse 8: “Keep all my decrees by putting them into practice, for I am the LORD who makes you holy.” Not one of us is capable of keeping all of God’s laws perfectly. Even the best among us miss the mark. In light of our weakness and failure, knowing that we could never measure up, God provided a way for us to be made holy. He sent his only Son to bear our punishment for us.

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV).

The LORD makes us holy, but we still have a part to play. We are to set ourselves apart to be holy. We are to do all that is in our power to separate ourselves from those things that God has called us away from.

Take time to assess your borders. Are there any areas of your heart and life that you have allowed the seepage of sin to creep into? Talk to God about it.

If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness (1 John 1:9 NLT).

Do you have any messy edges? God wants to help clean them up! You can have a fresh start right now. These stairs, on the other hand…that clean-up’s going to take a while.