Frog Soup

Frogs are interesting creatures. I heard once that if you drop a frog into a pan of hot water, it will react quick enough to jump out without even getting scalded. That said, if you drop a frog in a pan of cold water, but heat it up slowly, the frog won't react. It will calmly sit in the pan of water until it is cooked to death.

I was reading Galatians this morning and I realized that we are very similar.

"The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." -- Galatians 5:19 - 23

I read the list of acts of the sinful nature and I realize just how pervasive this nature is. Sexual immorality is rampant, let alone impurity (which is considerably more than "anything but sex"). Idols are rampant -- whether it is our work, our high-tech gadgets, our favorite college basketball team -- and who hasn't experienced some form of dissension, faction, or discord when working with other people? Fits of rage... well, just take a drive down I-40 on Friday afternoon and you'll see plenty. Selfish ambition? Drunkenness? I feel we've all witnessed enough of those that I don't have to discuss in detail.

What scares me is that we see this in people who call themselves Christians. I know I had succumbed to most of the above before God reclaimed my life (so please don't feel as though I am judging, merely praising God for His grace and mercy in my life). We're failing and we don't even know it. We have become desensitized to sin, and like the frog in pot of hot water, we are too unaware to respond appropriately and jump out before we become frog soup.