OH MY

What a wonderful two words. They are so simple, yet say so much. And I think they merit being mentioned because I think they reflect the ease at times that some sins and indiscretions are regarded.

I say that from a memory I have of a man I deal with who told me about this person for whom he once worked. The individual he worked for loved using those two words when commenting on a problem, no matter how terrible.

In this case, the individual happen to be a contractor who manufactured parts for use in military equipment. And he was collecting money from the government on contracts where he got paid before the work was completed.

Well, the man I knew was pointing out to this individual that by spending it on things other than making the product meant they would run out of money before the parts were completed. Then one faced the risk of possible charges by the government for misuse of funds.

The individual's response was to utter that fateful, "Oh my." But afterwards, despite his alleged concerned, he never actually did anything different.

The man I knew, seeing the handwriting on the wall, decided to quit before the disaster struck. Later he read in the paper where the government had shut the business down and the individual was facing a variety of choices.

My point is that knowing something is wrong and actually letting it affect your actions is not the same thing. I've seen this so many times in life. And the most amazing instances seem to take place with people who claim to be Christians.

They actually have the capacity to know something they do is blatant wrong and yet keep doing it. They even keep going to church and never once allow their conscience to in anyway be influenced by the truth of the sin they have been ignoring.

I think it is a sign in part of when the holy spirit truly is not part of one's life. There is no convicting essence to in some way deter the person from their behavior or even to make them feel remotely wrong in their actions.

I knew a man who was a minister who even had this problem. You could sit down and point out where something he was doing was contrary to God's word or even an out and out sin and it never in any way affected his behavior. I call that the absent of God's spirit in the person's life. My opinion naturally.

I am grateful that God has been able to help me not forget that I am a sinner. And neither has he allowed me to reach a point that I feel good about the things I do wrong. I pray I never do come to a point where I'm totally comfortable with being sinful. Tell then, I will rejoice over the simplicity of following the Lord and not forgetting my need for forgiveness.