The story is told of a boy named Johnny who, together with his sister Sally, went to stay with their grandmother for the summer. Johnny had a slingshot and loved shooting rocks at targets, but he was a terrible shot and could never hit anything.
One day, however, he was in the backyard when one of his grandmother’s ducks waddled by. Without thinking, he aimed and let a rock fly. This time, however, he hit his target and killed the duck.
The boy panicked. He hid the bird in the woodpile, only to look up and see his sister Sally watching. After lunch that day, grandma told Sally to help her with the dishes. Sally responded, “Johnny told me he wanted to help you in the kitchen today. Isn’t that right, Johnny?” She then leaned over and whispered in his ear, “Remember the duck!”
So, Johnny did the dishes. Over the next few weeks, he found himself doing all kinds of chores for his sister Sally. Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore. He went and told his grandmother everything.
“I know, Johnny,” grandma said with an understanding smile. “I was standing at the window that day and saw the whole thing. Because I love you, I forgave you immediately. I was just waiting to see how long you were going to let Sally make a slave out of you.”
Don’t let the devil make a slave out of you.
When we fall into the dark pit of sin, our first reaction is often to dig ourselves deeper. The devil convinces us to lie, to hide, to cover it up. We try to avoid the consequences. We run away from God. We stop going to church. We stop praying. We dig ourselves deeper and deeper until the devil has made a slave out of us.
When you mess up, do what Johnny should have done from the beginning. He should have immediately gone to his grandmother, admitted what he had done, and faced the consequences. He should have trusted that his grandmother loved him and would forgive him, even if he had to suffer some discipline for what he had done.
By trying to cover up what he did – by trying to avoid the consequences of his poor choice – Johnny dug himself into a deeper, darker pit.
When you mess up, go to God. Admit what you’ve done. Trust that he loves you and forgives you because of Jesus. Face the consequences of your actions, knowing that God will help you and make it work out for your good.
It’s not easy admitting our mistakes. It’s even harder to face the consequences of our actions.
But it’s better than letting the devil or Sally make a slave out of you.
Pastor Andrew Schroer has been a pastor for over 25 years and is currently serving at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Edna, Texas. You can find his latest books, “364 Days of Thanksgiving” and “364 Days of Devotion,” on Amazon.com.
