If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. — Matthew 5:29-30
First of all, do hands and eyes really cause people to sin? No. Your hand and your eye is a servant to your mind and your heart. Jesus doesn’t want all his children to be blind amputees. He wants us to wake up and get real about what is in our hearts.
Getting real doesn’t mean "Straighten up." We can’t straighten up. We don’t have the ability to do so.
Getting real doesn’t mean "Try harder." We’ve been trying harder all our lives. It doesn’t work.
Getting real means we all need to admit that there are places in our hearts where Jesus needs to do surgery. Getting real means waking up and realizing that you can’t perform open heart surgery on yourself, you need Jesus to do it for you.
Things that cause us to sin are buried inside each of us. There is no such thing as a person who doesn’t have issues in his or her life that need a touch from Jesus.
We can be offended or we can be comforted. Our deepest, darkest secrets are safe with Jesus. We can open our soul to Him.
Be encouraged!
Dwight
Dwight Clough is the author of four Christian books and is an active member of Lake City Church in Madison. This devotional is also available via email and you may review the archives back to 2002. Dwight and his wife Kim provide prayer ministry for inner healing / transformation and coaching in prayer ministry. He is available to speak to your group or church. To contact Dwight or Kim, use their contact form. You may also support their ministry.