Being Confronted by the Sin in Your Life -- UGLY!

Have you ever gotten in a situation and wondered, “How in the world did I get here?”


Have you ever realized that you are in the middle of some stressful stuff and realized you’ve been played?

Pride goes before a fall (Proverbs 16:18). Maybe it’s time to wake up and take a lesson from Herod.

I know I blogged about John the Baptist’s beheading before, but I did it from the perspective of Herodias, the woman of influence.

When reading Mark, I’m more intrigued by Herod. John the Baptist was a straight-shooter. He did not mince words for anyone. He wasn’t worried with being politically correct. So, Herod had John the Baptist for telling the truth. “Herod, you are committing adultery.” Herod viewed John as a holy man, a prophet. Herod’s relationship with John was like watching a train wreck, don’t you think? You know it’s going to end badly, but you have to watch it unfold. Herod at times is driving the car that’s trying to beat the train, like when he has conversations with John. Herod has many conversations with John. He was drawn to John and the truth he spoke, but then again, he hated it when John was the train speaking frankly about the sin in Herod’s life. He hated the feeling of guilt he had after having listened to John. Do you see an internal tug of war in Herod? He wants John dead. He doesn’t want John dead. He wants to hear what John has to say. He hates the way he feels after hearing what John has to say. Then, eventually, Herod becomes the train. He has a choice to make. He can come clean before God and send his wife packing back to his brother, OR he can get rid of the messenger. Let’s face it, there are just some people who can’t handle the truth when it the truth is about their own sin or sometimes the sin of those close to them. They’d rather shoot the messenger or get rid of him or her. Repentance requires humility which is a rare commodity these days and apparently back in Herod’s day as well.

Something else about Herod that caught my attention is he made an oath with a young woman in front of an audience there to celebrate his birthday. Be careful to whom you bind yourself and your loyalties. Be careful of your words and what you are willing to give away. Herod made an oath which is stronger than a pinky promise, much stronger. He thinks he’s making this oath with a young, enticing, beautiful, talented woman, but in truth, the one behind this young woman is the puppeteer. Herodias tells her daughter to ask for John the Baptist’s head. Herod was actually bound to two conniving women instead of one. Herodias came up with the idea about John’s head, but it was her daughter who added that she wanted it on a platter and now. The daughter added the conditions of the oath. WOW!

Who is really behind the scenes of what is going on in your life? Ask for God to give you discernment, guidance and wisdom to know to whom you should be dealing with, following or in business with. And if someone is confronting you about sin in your life, you better step back, step off and ask God to search you. God puts people in our lives for a reason sometimes, and that reason sometimes is to give us a word of warning or a word of correction, are you listening? You better be. Go clean out your ears, and ask God to clean your heart (Ps 51).