I was helping clean up some of the storm debris last week and managed to get a good case of poison oak, along with two of the four others who were also working on the same large oak tree. I had no idea until I woke up two days after the cleanup covered with the stuff on my forearms, which were exposed. I treated those areas with something I had in my medicine cabinet and thought I got off pretty well compared to the other two men who reacted worse than me initially.

However, several days later, I begin to notice this stuff had spread to areas that had not been directly exposed to the vines. So I started treating those areas too. I am talking about areas where “the sun don’t shine,” as well as on one foot and behind both knees that were well protected that day. 

It has continued to have small outbreaks, so today I took more radical measures to try to put a halt to its progression and for the healing process to begin. One man immediately began to use the proper medications and his never continued to progress. The other man, who was evidently much more allergic, with really ugly, large blisters, etc., took extra precautions, like washing all of his clothes he had worn twice to get out any remaining oils, the culprit for the stuff spreading, as well as changing clothes often. I was ignorant of all of these precautions, thus the continued progression.

What a perfect analogy concerning sin. Sometimes you are innocently exposed to something that may appear to be totally harmless, only to wake up to the fact that you are having vile thoughts and temptations that have not plagued you in a long time. If you try to ignore the symptoms, instead of going away, they seem to get worse. More thoughts, more temptations, maybe even a willful act that you know would not be pleasing to the Lord. 

If you do not become pro-active, those symptoms may continue to worsen until it becomes obvious. It moves into areas that others can see. Your whole thought process (think constant itching) begins to dwell on this situation, etc. At this point, you must take some immediate actions to remedy what will certainly get worse if left unattended. Sometimes professional help is necessary. I had to call my doctor for a prescription and therefore I had to tell them what was going on so he could prescribe the right medication. 

Sometimes, confessing to another trusted friend or spouse is enough, so they can pray with you. Sometimes more drastic measures, like your pastor or even a professional counselor, may be necessary to keep you from continuing to allow this problem to continue. When we are not able to deal with the issue by ourselves, we need to walk in a spirit of humility and seek out appropriate help so that we can be healed.

“Sin” is not just the obvious things we can all list and perhaps identify with from our past, but sometimes the hidden, more subtle things (poison oak has no leaves this time of the year to warn the unsuspecting person of the impending danger). Scriptures tell us it is “the little foxes that spoil or ruin the vine.” They sneak in under cover and gnaw at the tender plants right above the ground level that is usually hidden from view by the leaves. Subtle compromises in our lives will usually lead to more obvious and perhaps deadly (to our spirit man at least) actions.

In order to walk in the place of peace and joy, in order for each of us to fulfill our God-given destinies, we must deal with temptation and sin quickly and radically. We have an advocate in the Lord Jesus Christ and we have Holy Spirit living inside us to lead and guide us into all truth. We have all that we need to walk in a place of victory over every snare that our enemy would like to use to keep us from living in a way that our lives honor and glorify our Savior.