Recently, I took my boys to the dentist for their six month check-up. One boy was given a good report, while the other had some plaque issues and a cavity. The dentist came out to chat with me when he was finished, and reiterated some things he had already explained to Kyle. He seems to have an issue with rushing through the process of brushing his teeth, so he’s missing some important areas. They make these little chewable tablets to help identify those areas. They work really well, too! After brushing, my boys were instructed to chew up the tablet and then rinse. Any spots on their teeth that turned red were areas that did not get brushed and needed more attention.
This concept reminded me of how important it is to constantly inspect our hearts for sin that we are missing. This is a practice that I fail at all too often. It’s so easy to rush through morning devotions, prayer, and quiet time without stopping to examine the sin in our lives. Before we know it, that sin starts to take over and cause decay. When David cried out to God and asked for forgiveness in Psalm 51, he said “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me…” It took Nathan’s confrontation for David to acknowledge his sin. God places people in our lives to hold us accountable, but He also expects us to be aware of the motives and sinful desires deep down in our hearts. It is my prayer that I would be still long enough to hear God’s gentle reminders of the sin in my life, and that I would not fall into complacency in this area.
