Many people are afraid of the enclosed space of the elevator. However, I am much more afraid of the escalator! It has always been my fear that somehow my foot would get stuck, and I would not be able to step off the escalator at the appropriate time.
One glorious shopping day at the mall, this fear of being stuck on an escalator actually came true. The perfect little shopping day went completely awry. You see on this particular day, I had chosen to wear a long sundress to go with the warm summer weather. Unfortunately, the length of the dress was my demise. As I stepped onto the escalator to ride from the second floor to the first floor of JC Penney, I felt a tight tug. Somehow my dress was stuck in the escalator. It happened faster than I could realize there was going to be a problem. I felt trapped, consumed, dragged down, and I tried not to panic. I knew in that very moment one of my worst fears had just come true. I was stuck. I needed to figure out how to free myself before getting to the bottom, because I knew at that point I could be seriously injured. First, I began to fiercely tug on my dress, but it was not coming loose at all. I began to panic even more. What was I going to do? How was I going to get out of this? Would I get out of this? I needed freedom! I begin to ponder the possibility that the only option I may have was to step out of the dress and walk off this escalator with basically no clothes on. Sure, I might get arrested, but at least I would not die on the escalator.
As I neared the final moments right before I had to step off of the escalator, I gave my dress one final tug, and it pulled free from whatever had a hold of it. I was free, and it was just in the knick of time.
Often times as we strive to follow God, we can get trapped in our own sin. We find ourselves stuck.
What is trapping you?
What is consuming you?
What is dragging you down?
What is turning out to be your demise?
Do you find yourself afraid to diverge from the ways of the world and pull yourself away from the norms of culture as you strip yourself from the sin that hinders you?
When you find yourself stuck in a sin. Do not fear. Do not panic.
Pull on God.
Pull out humility.
Pull out repentance.
Tug on God's grace.
Be free!
"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:8-9