Steep Grade Hill
Author: Chrissy S.
29 July 2003

     For those who may not know much about steep grade hills, whom, perhaps, don’t drive or live in an incredibly flat area- Steep Grade Hill Signs tell you the degree of slope down. The sign helps so that the driver can get an idea of how slow to go, or how much to apply the breaks at first. That way the driver has control all through out the decline. If the driver were to come down the hill with too much speed and apply the breaks too hard early in the decline, he or she will struggle when they get further down and the breaks lock up. It is most critical for the larger loads (i.e. trucks).

     As humans, we are naturally prone to struggle with sin. Since the day Adam and Eve indulged in sin, it has been a fact. The next fact is that God loved us so much that He sent His Son to die on the cross, in order that our sins may be forgiven. But beyond our freedom, we are still taking temptations.

     In the life of temptation, are we really satisfied? We start with something ‘small.’ We justify our actions saying that another sin to another extent would be a lot worse, yet, in God’s eyes sin is sin. Starting small, we are drawn in further to do more damage. Letting the struggles intensify, as if it is just a normal habit (and there are things that are worse than this), we lose control and can no longer stop. It’s a chain of events, brought on by the devil that chains us further and further from righteousness (in other words, further and further from God). It is just like that children’s book, where the lady swallows the fly accidentally. And then to get rid of the fly, she swallows a spider. And on and on it goes, until she swallows a horse. (I think that is the last thing she swallows?) Or perhaps another picture is that a fire starts small, perhaps with a cigarette or something and then it ends with a forest destroyed (along with homes).

     “ If your right eye causes you to stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose on of the parts of your body, than for you whole body to go to Hell. If your right hand causes you to stumble cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose you to lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go to Hell.” Matthew 5:29- 30 (NASB) Jesus has a serious message, stop and cut it out of your life. I challenge you to take the time and evaluate your influences. What are they doing for you? Do they build you up and encourage you to be a better person? Or do they pound down at your foundation and make you weaker and weaker? Remember sin is sin. No matter what the “size” or “extent” of sin, it is death in God’s eyes, and, it is not going to get you anywhere.

     One of my pastors challenged the youth group the other week that we, as humans, take on so much risk for this or that but how much risk do we take for God? We ought to take as much risk with God as we do with our sin. I promise you that if you give up the strive to be popular or the drive to be rich, you will begin to find a satisfaction that you have never tasted before. For when you strive to be popular, you will never find satisfaction you are inwardly seeking. And when you strive to be rich, you will never have enough- there will always be something more, something more.

   - Chrissy S. <ChrissyS@teenz4theLord.com>

   "Steep Grade Hill", Copyright © 2003 Chrissy S., All Rights Reserved.