Did You Wash Behind Your Ears?

There was a time when I wouldn’t admit what a sinner I was.  But my dishonesty made me miserable and filled my days with frustration.  All day and all night your hand was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water on a sunny day  until I finally admitted all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them. I said to myself, "I will confess them to the Lord." And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Psalm 32:3-5 (TLB)

It's amazing how stubborn we can be sometimes, holding onto things that seem small but have a real impact on our ability to stay close to God.  It's easier to confess a big sin than a little one.   Take for example holding a grudge.   Thinking bitter thoughts is less sinful than saying hurtful words.   We keep our mouth shut but it's not so easy to keep our minds shut.  Unfortunately, it's easier to just avoid the offender than to ask God to forgive me for the bitterness inside me that moves me to avoid them in the first place.  

If I do something that is obviously wrong, I know it and I am usually quick to confess it.  But the subtle sin goes unconfessed.   What do I mean by a subtle sin?  It's like when I was a kid.  After taking a bath I would feel clean all over.   My mom would always ask, "Did you wash behind your ears?"   Invariably, I had not.   What seemed important to her just didn't seem important to me. 

Here are some real life examples of sublte sin: I know God wants me to reconcile with someone and I put it off.  I know God wants me to serve in a ministry but I put it off.  I know God wants me to support my church financially but I put it off.   I know God wants me to help someone but I let others do it.  Just because someone else does it doesn't erase the fact that I knew God wanted me to do it and I said "no" by waiting until the need was no longer there.

I think we all struggle with subtle sin.  Personally, I'm a firm believer in letting the Holy Spirit convict me of my sin.  I have found that I need that conviction much more for the subtle ones than for the obvious ones.   I'm praying that God will show us "all" our sin today so we can adjust our lives to Him and confess "all" our sin.  By faith we receive His forgiveness and are free from "all" our guilt!  It may not be easy, but it changes everything!