Apples of Gold

“Nip it in the bud” was one of Deputy Barney Fife’s most famous lines in the Andy Griffith Show. Barney frequently went way overboard trying to enforce the law and often found himself embarrassed and needing to back track. This is one thing that he got right. Dealing with issues when they are in the formative stages is usually a better approach than delaying the inevitable. Think of how much easier it is to lose 2-3 pounds after a weekend of overindulging as opposed to losing 15 a few months later!

My diet has been very restrictive the last couple of months as I am working to put an autoimmune issue into remission. I am currently coming out of the elimination diet and starting to add things back in slowly. With each new item I am carefully observing my mind and body for any negative reactions. I noticed a few almost imperceptible responses after I tried almonds. These were so subtle that it wasn’t until my second attempt that I realized I might have an issue with them. I have also noticed that my symptoms disappear quite quickly when I catch them and make adjustments immediately, affectively “nipping it in the bud”.

I found myself asking the Lord to help me be sensitive to his voice so that I will notice the initial appearance of subtle irregularities forming in my heart and mind. When my attitude begins to sour, or my stubbornness threatens to demand my own way, I want to recognize the warning signs before I am in a full-blown temper tantrum. My heart echoes David’s prayer in Psalm 86:

Teach me your ways, O LORD, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me unity of heart, so that I may honor you. With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God. I will give glory to your name forever. Psalm 86:11-12

Unity is a hot topic lately. While we think of being united with each other; how often do we consider the possibility of a schism existing within our own heart? It’s actually more common than you would expect. Like the chocoholic standing over a plate of warm, gooey, brownies trying to decide if their commitment to eat healthy will win out over their salivary glands; we find ourselves choosing between spiritual maturity and obedience or temporary self-indulgence quite frequently. 

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do. James 1:5-8

Before you decide you have this one fully mastered listen to the words of Paul:

As the Scriptures say, No one is righteous-not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one. Romans 3:10-12

One of the most dangerous times for us as believers is when we are convinced that we have everything under control. 

These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age. If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. 1 Corinthians 20:11-12

There is something about overconfidence that causes us to miss things that we would catch when our senses are on high alert. A red flag here, a temptation there. The seemingly insignificant compromise that starts us down a path that is difficult to resist. I’ll just have one cookie turns into an eating binge as the chemicals in our brain respond to the addictive ingredients and demand more. We can find ourselves justifying compromising behavior as innocent only to realize we are being drawn deeper, like a moth seeking out a light source. 

Why not “nip it in the bud” or even better, avoid it altogether. 

How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Psalm 19:12

Keeping a sensitivity to the voice of the Holy Spirit can give us a map of the path in front of us that is full of hidden land mines, allowing us to pass through unscathed. While God is fully capable of restoring us when we wander into the muck, how much better is it to stay on the right track?

Even the finest grand piano will sound like an old upright from a western bar scene if it is not tuned up with the change of seasons and humidity. Our hearts need the same tune-up from God on a consistent basis. 

I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart, Ezekiel 11:19