I ate fiberglass insulation. It wasn't cotton candy like the guy said... my tummy itches.

The following is an article that will appear this week in the Wylie News and Murphy Monitor. It recounts the saga of my ear malady, including my trip to the hospital, in some way attempting to link it to the deceptive nature of sin.

Deception of Sin Can Be Infectious to Your Soul

Despite fighting a middle ear infection, I had to catch a plane to St. Louis last week. On the flight the pressure on my ear was killing me, but on the descent a hard pop brought relief. I could even hear again.

However, over the next few days the pain only intensified. When I returned home, I went straight from Love Field to the Emergency Room.

Lo and behold, that relief I experienced was not a good thing. It was my eardrum rupturing. That temporary pleasure was deceptive as the consequences were brutal. An outer ear infection was added to hearing loss and a middle ear infection. In short, much pain.

The deceptive nature of that experience reminded me of a Bible verse that speaks of "sin's deceitfulness" (Heb 3:13). But how is it that sin is deceptive and what is sin anyway?

Sin is essentially doing what God does not want us to do or not doing what God wants us to do, particularly that which He has revealed to us about His likes & dislikes in the Bible. He also makes it clear in Scripture that His rules are for our own good, just as a parent gives rules to children to keep them safe.

So, if we understand that sin is what is bad for us, then why do we sin? Why do we do what God would not want us to do? Just as a child disobeys because he/she doesn’t believe that obedience will be better for him/her, we sin because we think we'll find joy.

Sin appears enticing, but that’s the deception. Sin says God’s ways are not best for us, and that disobedience will be of greater benefit. While it may feel good momentarily, sin is also deceptive in that it always promises more than it delivers. Plus, the consequences are infection of the soul.

Sin may promise a temporary pleasure, but brings detrimental side effects. In contrast, listening to God may appear to have temporary pain, but with lasting positive results. God can be trusted and there is blessing in doing what He says, for our own good and to fight off infection.