There is oil in the water, can you taste it?
At the time I'm writing this there is still oil in the Gulf of
Mexico from BP's Deepwater Horizon well, but that isn't the oil or
the water I'm talking about. I'm talking about the water of
life, the everyday experience.
There is oil in that water; do you feel it, do you taste it?
The Taint
You've felt it, haven't you? Something that should be
giving you joy doesn't quite satisfy. Something that should
be pleasing you, isn't. Love that you felt is now
diminishing... or gone.
Or perhaps you have felt it in yourself. The relationship
which should be pure, isn't. The time you spend with God
feels like time all by yourself. The thing you don't want to
do, that is the very thing you do.
Can you doubt that sin permeates everything in this life?
You feel it don't you?
The Relief
But you say, there are things that I do find I enjoy without
noticing any taint. What about those?
Have you ever entered a room where there was a smell and you
noticed it right away? What happens if you are there for a
while? Does the smell seem to fade, except for an occasional
whiff? Or have you ever met a person who themselves smelled
but didn't seem to notice it? Why is that?
I believe that God in his grace gave us senses that are in some
aspects relative. We get used to things and they fade to the
background. It is not until you come from an environment
where the air is purer where you notice the difference. It's
when you taste purer water that the taint becomes less
palatable.
Can you imagine living in a world of sin where this wasn't the
case. Can you imagine if the taint in this world overwhelmed
you every time you did anything?
The Saint's Burden
So this ability to have the taint fade in our conscious is both
a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing because it allows us
to function in this world of sin. It is a curse because the
taint can hide in us and keep us from truly experiencing life.
Fortunately, there is a cure, but it is a lifelong regimen and
will cause you a lot of pain. Knowing and following Jesus
Christ will give you that pure water which will start to reveal the
taint in you and in the world around you. Living daily in the
Word (the Bible) will be that breath of fresh air which will
invigorate you and also make you aware of the smell in your
life. The closer you get to Jesus, the more this taint
will become apparent.
This is the start of healing, but it will also reveal fresh
pain. Like the cleaning of a wound, there will be the pain of
the infection being revealed and cleaned. Things that you
used to enjoy will no longer be as appealing to you. You will
find that spending time with other believers to be more enjoyable
than the activities you used to seek.
But here is the burden part... God calls us in His Scriptures to
go back into this world and tell others about Him. That means
that contrary to your body's natural reaction of pulling away from
the world to protect yourself, the saint is called to purposely go
back into the world while tasting the taint and smelling the
smell. You will no longer be numbed to it, but rather feel it
in full. Your only protection is to be so enveloped in the
Word that the Holy Spirit in you becomes a fount of fresh water,
bringing His purity to your situation.
Are you ready for this, believer? It is your calling and
you have a duty, but you will be overwhelmed if you go in without
the armor of God. Or worse, you will again become numb and no
one will be able to tell the difference between you as one who
claims to follow God and those who do not.
So this is your choice, live the comfortable but dissatisfying
life of the numbed or accept the painful cure and join the
war. Which will you choose?