The Whispers of God

A strange thing has happened since the poison oak incident described in the first post of this series—“Poison Oak Oil.” I don’t develop as bad a rash as I did before that severe exposure. It appears I’ve built up immunities. However, I’m not so foolish I’d walk through a patch of poison oak bushes!

It’s the same with sin. As we practice doing right, we learn to recognize good from evil, and by using God’s defense plans we become strong in the areas that formerly drew us to sin. In this newfound strength, we need to be careful not to cause others to stumble—this reminds me of my friend Sharon . . .

Stumbling Blocks

Sharon was just a little girl when her family went on an outing where poison oak grew in abundance. Being mischevious, she decided to rub poison oak leaves all over her body in hope she’d break out in a rash and get to skip school. I can just picture her sitting next to her sister on the way home with a smug look on her face, thinking she was so clever.

Sharon got a big disappointment. She not only failed to produce a singe rash, but also watched helplessly while her sister swelled so badly she was taken to the hospital. My heart went out to my mischievous girlfriend because she felt so badly for causing her sister so much pain and, to make matters worse, she had to go to school anyway!

We need to be sensitive, in our newfound strength against sin, to others around us—not causing them to stumble—“Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way” (Rom. 14:13, NIV).We don’t want to cause anyone to trip and fall into sin.

Last Entry of “Poison Oak Oil” Series

Excerpt from “Learning to Hear the Whispes of God”