It's a sealed deal.

Today while I was driving, my passenger pointed out that my door was open. What's weird is that my door ajar light didn't go off. Originally I wrote this off as the door was old and the sealing was probably going bad, letting more air in and sounding like it was open. When I dropped my friend off and it was just me in the car, I reflected on what they said and realized that it was in fact open. I stopped for gas (a perfect time to shut the door), and forgot to fix the door. So, the rest of the trip I listened to the whistle of a door.

This makes me think of our lives, and the little cracks that we let in our Spiritual life. Perhaps we've made a mistake or fallen to temptation and we don't realize it. This could be something like bitterness, jealousy, pride, anger, revenge, etc...the sins that get less pointed out than others sometimes--so just a crack in the door. At first, we may not notice it, and a friend/brother or sister in Christ may bring it to our attention. Sometimes we have the tendency to shrug it off as untrue I mean "it's not like I would do that." But we need not retaliate in hurt or anger but rather accept the rebuke in love and take it in to consideration. This is not the point where you start to point out the friend who told you about the problem's flaws--oh, the door sounds like that to him because his ears constantly ring. Or, my spiritual signal (like the door ajar light on the dash--meaning my own check of myself--generally this goes off with major stuff we KNOW we're doing wrong)...it hasn't gone off yet, so they must just be wrong. We continue to make up excuses and explain away the person who kept us accountable's fault on why we can't believe what they say---but the leak still exists.

Once we are on are own (like when I dropped my friend off), it's a little harder to ignore...yep, I noticed the sound of the air [like the consequences of the sin]. When I got to a point where I could correct it at the gas station (this could perhaps be like another opportunity to gossip or get that person the irks you back)...then I should have corrected it, but I forgot. Why did I forget? because I either ignored it or wrote it off as unimportant. (ever written of a sin as "just a little sin?"--Bible says ALL sin separates us from God, so I argue there are no little sins.) Once I got back in the car, I continued on the rest of my drive, not stopping to fix the problem. Don't go the rest of your life with this little problem that is actually bigger than it seems--correct it before it gets worse. When your brother/sister in Christ corrects you, take it into account--"does what they're saying have any grounds on which to stand?" God gave us friends for a reason (Proverbs 18:24), and God tells us that where 2 or more are gathered in His name, there He will be in the midst (Matthew 18:20). Proverbs 12:15 says, "The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice."

Be open to others corrections and love them for it whether they are right or not (honestly, most times they point out problems they will be..but you're human...work to fix it). We're all in this together. When you do realize a problem in your life, remember the ultimate authoriy of God, seek after Him, and correct these issues so you can draw closer to Him. Seal off those areas of weakness where you're falling into temptation, and keep sin from blowing in.