There is a rug in my house that I know will get stuck in the vacuum cleaner every time I go over it. It is an indisputable fact that if I attempt to clean it with the rest of the carpet, it will not end well.

Do you want to know how many times I have sucked that thin little floor covering up?

Every. Single. Time.

My brain knows it will happen. In my heart, I know this will not end well. But I try to get as close to it as I can without it happening. I get right up next to the edge and move slowly down the side. Then, inevitably, I catch it in the brushes, and it gets pulled into the vacuum.

Sin is enticing. Even when we know the consequences can be devastating, we often try to come as close as possible, hoping nothing bad will happen this time.

Perhaps for a time or two, we are fine. Then we get confident in our behavior, and suddenly there is the smell of burning rubber from the belt, the squeal of the motor, and everything comes to a halt.

The question should never be, “How close can we get to sin and get away with it?” It should be “How can we stay far enough away that we will never have an issue?”