I’ve enjoyed playing my guitar for many years. In my younger years, I would often practice with a group for two or three hours on a Saturday afternoon, then that evening play for another three hours at a Square Dance. In my pre-Christian days, it was nothing to play ten to twelve hours in a weekend. In the early 70’s, I even considered trying to go professional. Then a major event happened in my life that brought me back down to earth and put me on my knees. Three days later, a young Gospel preacher, named Roy Beasley entered my life, taught me the Gospel, baptized me into Christ, and for the past 37 years I’ve been preaching the Gospel trying to do for others what he did for me.
I still occasionally play my guitar, in fact, for several years I would play in a Country and Western jam session every Thursday evening for about three hours. However, the leader of the jam session died and the routine was brought to an abrupt halt. I put my guitar in the closet where it has been for the past two years.
A couple of months ago, I noticed it while rummaging through the closet and decided to tune it up. I played it for about ten minutes and the tips of my fingers became so sore I could hardly type on a keyboard! I chuckled to myself, remembering how I use to play for hours without feeling a thing.
A couple of days later I picked up my guitar again and goofed around for about 15 minutes. My fingers got sore again — but not quite as sore as the first time. Each time I did this, it “hurt” just a little less than the time before. Now, only two months later, I can’t feel the strings on my fingers at all. The reason? The tips of my fingers have become sufficiently calloused that it doesn’t cause me the least bit of pain.
When people best cialis price take Tums, Rolaids, Prilosec and other antacids, the necessary digestive enzymes are diminished. The cialis cost 20mg effect of Tadalafil is not altered by the routine of binging and purging. It is clear that Kamagra medication is completely safe for men taking nitrate-based medications and prostate cancer treatments * Unsafe for men with penile implants * Should be taken at a maximum of 3 times per week (allowing one day rest period between for each injection) 3. viagra italy The disorders can be hormonal levitra from canada changes in the lifestyle surely help to improve the quality of penile erection. Being a Gospel preacher, I can’t help but think how this illustrates the progress of sin in one’s life. Being ignorant of God, we can sin all day long with “no pain.” Then some brave individual teaches us the Gospel. Being made aware of sin, we turn away from it and bury it in a watery grave (called baptism – Acts 22:16; Romans 6:3), and begin walking a way that is called “straight and narrow” (Matthew 7:14).
Satan can be very patient. Perhaps even a couple of years will pass before something happens that temps you to get an “old sin” out of the grave and “tune it up.” The first time, it hurts; the second time, it hurts also, but not as much as the first time. The more you “play with it” it begins to hurt less and less till your heart becomes calloused and you don’t feel anything. Pretty soon you’re so entangled in the sin (2Peter 2:20-22), you begin making excuses to try and justify it. You want out – – but then again, you don’t want out.
BEWARE: When you stop feeling the “pain of sin” in your life, you have nothing in common with the Cross of Christ. However, if we turn away from the sin (repent – Luke 13:5), and confess it, “He is faithful and just to forgive us of all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
–Toby Miller
