Work Out the Kinks & Grow
The sun-scorched flowers perked ever so slightly as the refreshing spray of water hit their roots. And then suddenly... there was no more water. I shook the nozzle, pulled the hose, shook the nozzle again, and squeezed the trigger tighter. I repeated this process multiple times before I looked behind me to see what might have gone wrong. It was then that I noticed a kink in the hose behind me. My first thought was, "How did that get there?" But, it really didn't matter because I had to get it worked out before I could get fresh water to again flow from the hose.
As I manipulated the hose one kink unraveled, but another one surfaced; this one was smaller and tighter. I worked several moments to remove all the kinks and straighten the hose at which point water again flowed freely from the nozzle.
It was then that I was reminded of Hebrews 12:1 which says, Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,
In my searching, I found that the word 'kink' is defined as follows:
- 1.a sharp twist or curve in something that is otherwise straight: "a kink in the road" synonyms:
curl, crimp, twist, twirl, ringlet, wave, frizz, knot, tangle, entanglement, coil, loop, crinkle, wrinkle, warp, distortion, irregularity, bend, corner, angle, dogleg, crook, twist, turn, curve, loop, zigzag,
Be aware, Friends, like the hose I mentioned earlier,' you can become entangled in sin and refuse to obey God sending you down the wrong path. The twist in your path may be unnoticeable at first, a small lie, a lustful glance, an ounce of bitterness, but one small kink, twist and turn after another you will find yourself far from the loving arms of your Father. You will notice that the joy and love that once flowed freely from your heart and mouth has been replaced by a dry nozzle of anger, resentment, and bitterness. Like my attempt to fix the nozzle, you can look at the situation around you to find an answer. You may blame others, project your pain on others, or manipulate circumstances. But the true answer lies in the past. Perhaps there is a kink in your thinking, a wrinkle in your behavior, or a warped understanding.
It is essential that you have at least one trusted, Godly accountability partner who will help you evaluate yourself and stay in the Word of God in order to stay on the straight path. I encourage you to take time today to 'work out the kinks' in your relationships with God and others!