Turn Off the Faucet

 “Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that His kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?” (Romans 2:4)

You ineffectively use time by mopping water spurting everywhere from a faulty faucet before addressing the problem's source. If you don’t turn off the tap or water main, you have a continual flow of mounting difficulties.

The same is true of our lives. By nature, we are sinners. But by God’s goodness and grace, Jesus’ blood supplied the remedy for sin’s cleansing; God made way for right-standing with Him. When we choose wrongdoing over living rightly, we face and must endure the consequences created by those choices—the situation will not right itself.

God shows kindness and patience with His wandering children, intending them to turn from wrong living back to His unflawed, prepared path. But we must not take advantage of His love, treating His longsuffering as “nothing.” Although our Father never forces anyone to turn off the faucet of disobedience, until we do, dripping troubles persist. Once His disobedient children turn from self-seeking waywardness to Him, asking for forgiveness, He cleanses from all sin (1 John 1:9). But understand that the penalties of poor living choices linger.