Last year, when my husband and I returned to Virginia, we moved into a “little house in the big woods.” There were trees – and leaves – everywhere! We arrived in summer when the leaves were thick, lovely, and green on the trees. But when late fall came, after their glorious colors faded, mountains of leaves fell everywhere. Having never lived in a wooded area, we tried everything to cover, move, even mulch them. Eventually, we had to call someone else to remove them.


In a way, our sin nature is like those fallen leaves. By God’s design, our human desires are lovely and vibrant, in their right place. But when they are separated from God, we see their fallen condition – ugly and dead. They can’t be covered over, moved around or “mulched” into something else. The only way to get rid of your sin nature is to confess, to the One who created you in His image for His glory, that you have a sin problem. Ask Him to remove its penalty and power – through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit’s work, to restore His image in you.