Mickey and Minnie Mouse, two icons of childhood for several generations—are you a fan?
The cute and clever mice in Beatrix Potter’s children’s story The Tailor of Gloucester: you can’t help but admire the way they show the tailor their gratitude and demonstrate their superb sewing skills.
And what about those adorable mice sniffing at or curled up in a flower with a happy grin?
Although I admit mice are kind of cute in a rodent sort of way, and they’re clever in finding ways to invade my cupboards and avoid the mousetraps, I don’t find their talents endearing or constructive.
Destructive is a better definition of mice! Right?
For example, if I have a bag of sugar, a bag of flour, a package of chocolate chips, a bag of rice, and a box of cereal stored in my cupboard, does the invading mouse choose just one item to consume? No, of course not. The burglar helps himself/herself to a taste or two of each, leaving a messy trail and packages of food I’m unable to use. You see, I have this thing about not consuming mouse germs.
In the latest invasion, my visitor nibbled the rubber gasket on my crockpot! (I hope it got a stomachache.) I’m thankful I can still use the crockpot, but you can be sure I’ve attempted to block another invasion by packing the openings with steel wool and distributing peppermint scent. So far it works.
But this mouse invasion started me thinking about the destructive sins that nibble away at my life:
- Procrastination – How often I put off a task, small or big, because I don’t want to do it or there’s something else I’d prefer to do, until I have a whole list to sort through with little time to accomplish what must be done. I do a poor job or miss a deadline. God’s Word tells us to use our time profitably and wisely (Ephesians 5:15,16).
- In a hurry – I do a sloppy job and have to do it over or be embarrassed when someone sees my poor work. Maybe this is because I don’t want to do it in the first place, or I’m trying to crowd too many tasks into the time I have available. Colossians 3:17 admonishes us to work as though we are doing it for the Lord, and we are if we belong to Him.
- Discontent – I want something someone else has or something I can’t afford (envy), or I’m unhappy because my life isn’t quite what I want it to be. I complain, am unhappy and hard to get along with. The Lord promises to provide what we need, and He tells us to be content with what we have (Philippians 4:19; Hebrews 13:5).
- Anger – I lose my temper when someone offends me or life doesn’t happen the way I hoped it would. I’m in the middle of a sewing project and dump the container of straight pins on the floor, or I tip over the bag of trash when I’ve just finished cleaning. Anger steals my joy and opens the way to other sins. If I fail to confess my sin of anger and allow it to fester, it can become bitterness. (Ephesians 4:26, 31)
By acknowledging and confessing my sins, I receive forgiveness and cleansing through Jesus Christ. As a follower of Christ, I want my life to reflect the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22,23)
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