And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah had done. Nevertheless, the high places were not removed. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. 2 Kings 15:34-35
My wife recently sent me a story about another prominent Christian who’d fallen from grace. This one hurt. He was one of the good guys. I’d read several of his books. I’d heard him speak. I even met him once. He was so authentic and transparent about his own struggles that I couldn’t help but admire him. When I read his writings, they made sense because I thought the way he thought. He was a truly good man who did a lot of wonderful things . . . except that for the last several years, he’d been living a lie, carrying on an extramarital affair. He did so much good and followed God in nearly every area of his life, except for this one little part, and it ruined everything.
I know that I shouldn’t be surprised. I know that no one is perfect. We all have our struggles. It just appeared that this guy really lived what he preached. How did he get there? I’m sure it didn’t happen all at once. I doubt he went from faithful husband to cheater in a day. Rather, I’d bet that he tolerated one little indiscretion that simply multiplied over time, compounding into a full-blown affair that eventually destroyed his marriage and ruined his ministry.
It’s our nature to think that we can get away with just a little sin. We may do well in most areas of our lives. We don’t murder, steal, or cheat on our taxes. So, when it comes to our indulgence, we tend to wink, nod, and make excuses. Whether it’s porn, chemicals, addictive shopping, or greed, we justify it by telling ourselves it’s not that big of a deal.
Today’s passage, however, tells of yet another king of Judah – Jotham this time – who followed God . . . mostly. He was mostly a good leader, except that he continued to tolerate idol worship among his people. For his sin, God again used Syria to discipline Jotham and his people.
We’ve all got our own little sins that we tend to overlook. We’re good at picking out the failures of others, while turning a blind eye to our own. Habitual sin though, always produces some painful consequence eventually. God desires to save us from that pain. Daily then, if we want the life God intends, we must go to him, asking what it is we need to abandon. Then, we must do whatever it takes to obey.