4.28.18 Praise & Prayer Prompt: Laughing at Sin

PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• This morning, I read Proverbs 14:9 NLT, which says, “Fools make fun of guilt, but the godly acknowledge it and seek reconciliation.”
I know I’ve read this verse before but it was one of those times that reading it again gave me a new pause for thought.
Let’s break this verse into two parts, starting with “fools make fun of guilt.”
Have you ever laughed at sin?
It’s a question designed to make you uncomfortable because no one wants to admit to it.
We wouldn’t laugh at murder.
We wouldn’t laugh at rape.
We wouldn’t laugh at robbery.
But I think if we’re being honest, we can all admit that at some point in our lives, we laughed at sin.
Some examples may be—laughing about telling someone off, instead of turning the other cheek and taking the high road.
Another example may be laughing at the little white lie we told to get out of something.
We might laugh over inappropriate jokes or about the drunken antics of a friend or self.
I’m not judging.
I admit I’ve laughed over sin, even the sins of others.
But does that make me guilty too?
Yes.
Ephesians 5:4 says, “Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God.”
As Christians, we are called to pattern our lives after Christ.
1 John 2:6 says, “Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.”
We’re never going to be perfect.
We’re going to mess up.
But the second part of the verse from Proverbs says, “but the godly acknowledge it and seek reconciliation.”
1 John 1:8-9 says, “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”
God knows we can’t be perfect.
That’s why He sent Jesus to be the perfect atonement for our sins.
Yet, even after we accept Christ, we have an imperfect, sinful, human nature in constant war with the side of us that wants to live for Jesus.
Laughing at sin is the imperfect, sinful side.
But a heart that seeks reconciliation and forgiveness is healed.
Some may say, “Lighten up! Live a little! It’s not a big deal.”
We need to remember though that we apply more weights to some sins versus others.
But God weighs sin as sin; it all weighs the same on His scales.
And we’re not living for THIS life.
We’re living for the eternal one that awaits all who have trusted in Christ.
Today, as you pray, praise God for sending Jesus to die for our sins.
Thank Jesus for being the willing sacrifice for us.
And pray that the Holy Spirit will convict your heart of sins you may not even be aware of.
Pray that He will help you live as close to perfection as humanly possible, not because you want to earn anything (none of us are going to get Good-Enough trophies), but because you want to live a life of appreciation to Jesus for all He’s done for you.