Even after Adam, I still fall in the garden.

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These past few days have been very busy for me.  I have spent my time working around the house, trying to murder my to do list.  I know that is probably not the best attitude to have because we are not to have anger in our hearts, but I finally got so tired of looking at that thing that I took some action.  In all actuality, the to do list really isn't mine as much as it is my mother's, but it is only right that I help her accomplish those things around the house that she needs done.

I spent the entirety of my day working around the yard yesterday.  There was some intensive clean up to do.  I had to clean up a bunch of weeds, dead leaves, dig up old bricks, dig up old plants and remove the roots, etc.  To remove the roots from the ground, I had to dig rather deeply.  I was distracted for a few minutes and forgot that I had left a hole in the area where I was working.  I walked away from the hole and returned to finish what I was doing.  Because I was distracted and did not remember where exactly I was digging, I ended up stepping into the hole and tripping.  While I caught myself from falling, it would have been a nasty and dirty fall if I had not regained my balance.  "That's funny," I thought.  "I dug the very hole that would have taken a foothold and brought me down."

I think of Paul, who is in letter to the Ephesians wrote that they not ought to give the devil a foothold (Ephesians 4:27).  While Paul is describing the effects of anger in the hearts of believers, specifically not addressing anger before the sundown, I believe it is safe to apply this instruction to all contexts.  James tells us that when we resit the devil, he will flee (James 4:7).  The irony of my gardening trouble is that I dug the hole that caused me to trip.  Because I had not finished taking care of the hole right away and because I was distracted, I left myself a trap.

There are holes that we have left in our hearts and lives that will cause us to trip if we do not address them.  It is a simple truth.  Any sin not confessed, any anger or hurt towards another not addressed, any lifestyle and behavior patterns from our pasts, any projection from our past experiences onto our future ones and other similar experiences will cause us to trip.  They are holes we have left in our spiritual pathway and they will ensure to snare us and cause us to fall.  If they are fully effective, they will cause us to roll backwards in a destructive tumble that will hurt our hearts and the hearts of those we love.

Do not give the devil a foothold (NIV).  The New American Standard Bible reads, "Do not give the devil an opportunity" (James 4:7).  We give him an opportunity when we do not address the matters of our hearts that we must address.  Do not leave holes in your garden or you may fall.  True story.