This week I met a skunk.
Not in person, but with my car. I never intended to hit the already-dead critter in the early morning darkness. Sadly, another driver left parts of the unfortunate animal across the entire width of my lane.
I winced as the front wheel connected with nature’s leftovers and the unpleasant aroma of n-butyl mercaptan (I had to look that one up) filled my nostrils. Arriving at work, I parked in my usual spot, mentally apologizing to my colleagues whose cars were nearby.
Social media quickly offered advice about removing skunk smell from a car or garage, including charcoal, vinegar, and unused coffee grounds.
Opening a small bag of coffee grounds, I tested one of the suggestions. To my surprise, the remedy worked fairly well — at least to some extent.
The entire episode reminded me that sin is very much like hitting a skunk on a dark morning highway.
We didn’t CHOOSE to be sinful creatures. The choices of Adam and Eve in the garden resulted in mankind entering the world with an active sin nature (Romans 5:12-21). I would never have chosen to hit any animal, especially not a skunk, but reality cannot be ignored. I cannot go back and change history.
Sin affects everything in our lives (Romans 3:23). Just as a smell worse than rotten eggs permeated the air around my vehicle and seemed to cling to my nostrils, sin affects how we think, speak, and behave. Without God’s grace, we can never be rid of it.
Everyone believes that their method of dealing with sin is the best solution: ignore it, deny it, work to rid ourselves of it, or excuse it. However, the Bible says that only the blood of Jesus Christ will eternally cleanse our sins and bring about reconciliation with God (Hebrews 9:22; Romans 10:9).
The good news is that skunk smells eventually fade. The BEST news is that sin can be eradicated forever by the power of God. His solution for sin is the only one we will ever need.
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