In the last article while we were giving out some facts regarding termites, one of the things we mentioned was that as they tunnel through the wood they leave very thin walls behind which to hide.  After a while there are so many of those thin walls throughout the wood that it becomes like Swiss Cheese and any weight put upon it or leaned against it will cause it to crumble to pieces.  It is like the walls of a corrugated box.  The cells between the two solid layers make it appear to be thicker than what it is.  But when it is crushed down the thin inner layer falls flat and it becomes weak.

            Just as there are different species of termites so there are different things that can become “termites” in our lives.  Galatians 5:10-23 outlines the bad things that can become termites within us and also the Fruit of the Spirit which mentions good things to put into our lives.    We will look at those in the next article.  But today let’s look at those life-termites.

            This list includes some physical things like adultery, fornication, idolatry, sorcery, murders, drunkenness, and revelries.  These are outward expressions of the termites within.  Other things listed can’t be easily seen until they are displayed and are often displayed in one or more of the outward things mentioned.  They include uncleanness, lewdness, hatred, contentions, jealousy, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, and envy.  By the way, this isn’t a complete list because I am certain there are other things that could be included but it is a good representation.  These “termites” come from negative emotions and feelings inside of us.

            When talking about sin we often refer to and think of those outward displays.  Certainly murder, adultery, fornication, drunkenness and just plain old meanness are very bad things.  We want to think that these are sin (and they are).  But most of the time these things are displays of what is really going on inside us.  Jesus said in Matthew 15:11 “Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”  What He was saying that it isn’t in what we eat or what necessarily we are exposed to that creates sin within us but what proceeds out of our heart.  When the sin (those termites in our lives) gets strong enough and erodes us inside enough then we collapse and display what we are feeling on the outside.  This is the sin that the world sees coming from us.  But they don’t see the evil inside until it is manifested out.

            Hatred may eventually cause us to do bodily harm to someone.  Envy can eventually cause us to display outward outbursts of anger.  Jealousy can lead to divorce, or theft.  When we begin to exterminate those “termites” within we will also extinguish the outward display that is coming from them.

            Did you know that negative emotions that originate from within can enhance the growth of cancer cells, and can cause us gastric and intestinal problems like ulcers and other things?  Negative emotions are worry, anger, hatred, doubt, and fear, to name some of them.  Now I am not saying that all sickness is brought on by these things but I am saying that if we have a physical problem it certainly can be enhanced negatively by those things.  It can be made worse.  If we worry about some physical ailment in our life that worry may cause it to get worse.

            When we begin to identify, pray about, and allow God by way of the Holy Spirit within us to bring to surface those inward sins, and then let Him heal them and cast them from us it is just like having a pest control service come in and spray to kill those termites.  Once the termites are gone the physical damage will stop.  Just so, when these hidden sins within us are eliminated then we will see a change in the quality of our lives.  We can live happier, easier, and much more fruitful lives for our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Jerry D. Ousley is the author of ?Soul Challenge?, ?Soul Journey?, ?Ordeal?, ?The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional and his first novel ?The Shoe Tree.?  Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge.