Little Sins

By degrees men get familiar with sin

"the ear in which the cannon has been booming will not notice slight sounds"

"At first a little sin startles us, but soon we say is it not a little one? then there comes another larger and then another, until by degrees we begin to regard sin as but a little ill and then follows an unholy audacity we have not fallen into open sin, true we tripped a little but we stood upright in the main, we may have uttered one unholy word but as for the most of our conversation it has been consistent, so we palliate sin, we throw a cloak over it we call it by dainty names. Is it not a poison who knows its deadliness? Does not the tiny coral insect build a rock which wrecks a navy? Do not little strokes fell lofty oaks"

It can all start with a joke at the dinner table that may not have been all too offensive to ones ears, or a quick glance outside a window to notice the neighbors fine car. We are never far from coveting, envy or salacious desires.

"Is it not a little one?" Men, with their eyes well opened by divine grace, have seen a whole hell slumbering in the most minute sin. Gifted with a microscopic power, their eyes have seen a world of iniquity hidden in a single act, or thought, or imagination of sin; and hence they have avoided it with horror,— have passed by and would have nought to do with it.

   This is something that convicted me. It was always be degrees I have been desensitized
to the harmful affects of sin. A drink here, a quick glance of lust there, a prideful thought here, a judgement towards other people spoken then and there and before you realize it you are ensnared and conditioned to think and feel in a way that seems normal to a worldly mindset. Desires which once seemed so harmful are now natural. Critiquing other peoples behavior, instead of praying and building others up soon becomes the norm. I'm writing this to myself as much as anybody it is so easy as Christians to fall into the traps the devil lays for us. 

 I have noticed in my time working retail that Sunday is usually the day I receive the least amount of tips and notice the greatest degree of unhappiness in people. This fact has always puzzled and amazed me.