Sin is Crouching at the Door

Genesis 4:7 “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”

Before I came to love the Lord, I enjoyed all forms of entertainment as long as it had a good story. It didn’t matter what happened in between the beginning and the end of the performance, show, movie, or song, as long as it entertained me. I did not give much thought to what I was consuming through my eyes and ears because my mind was lulled by an enjoyable narrative.

This summer I have given much more consideration to what I consume through my eyes and ears as these doors to my mind have an impact on my spiritual life. My heart is convicted when I watch scenes promoting sinfulness or my ears listen to music that promotes sinfulness. Should I open the door to messages of pride, greed, hate, excess, lust, envy, selfishness or should I close the door on them? Should I not only keep the door closed, but keep it locked and guarded?

Sin is crouching at the door of our hearts. It’s looking for an opening, an opportunity, to make itself home in our hearts so that we fall into sin. The Lord told Cain to be watchful, but Cain did not guard his heart and allowed thoughts of envy and murder to find a place in his heart.

Let us consider where sin may be crouching at the door and trying the locks in our lives. Let us take time to pause in our busy day to introspect if temptation and sin have already opened the door and how we can evict this unwanted guest. Let us resist the evil one and not let sin take hold of us.

2 Timothy 2:15 “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”