Playing with Little Foxes

Catch us the foxes, The little foxes that spoil the vines, For our vines have tender grapes. Song of Solomon 2:15

The Liberian women dress with amazing beauty whenever possible. The traditional colorful cloth, called "lappa," or special embroidered cloth is styled into suits or robe-like dresses—many times with a matching head tie—that are both interesting and flattering. Additionally, if finances allow, the women pay close attentions to accessories such as earrings, necklaces and bracelets. The end result is often stunning.

Image by Melodie Sheppard Kejr

A few years ago I was the speaker at a women's conference in the interior of Liberia. Because I was far from home, it was necessary for me to sleep overnight. This meant getting ready for class in the morning without the benefit of a regular-size mirror.

The results were sadly predictable. While I had managed to coax my hair into place, I had barely sat down at the front of the room when several women approached quietly to inform me there was a problem with my earrings—I was wearing two different kinds. A quick look around showed others were watching because, they too, had noticed my fashion faux pas. I pulled the earrings out of my ears and, sure enough, while the two earrings had a bit of color in common, they were definitely two entirely different styles. This obviously disturbed the Liberian women and, now that I knew about it, I too was disturbed. I put the earrings in my purse.

Later, as I was teaching, I mentioned the importance of the little things in life. While it was relatively easy for them to understand the "biggies" were wrong, I felt it important for them to recognize what God had been trying to pound into my head—that all sin is wrong. Not just the big, bad, bold ones. I must recognize that impatience, not just raging anger, is sin. Impure thoughts, not just impure actions, are sin. Borrowing and not repaying, not just stealing, is sin.

I could see by their eyes I was not making much progress. After all, it is rather counter intuitive. Then I remembered the earrings. Taking them out of my purse and putting them back on, I reminded them how disturbed they were when I was wearing two different types of earrings. It was a very small thing, wasn't it? Yet they all  knew it was a very important thing. The object lesson totally resonated with the women.

Charles Spurgeon explains this principle so much better than I can.

A little thorn may cause much suffering. A little cloud may hide the sun. Little foxes spoil the vines; and little sins do mischief to the tender heart. These little sins burrow in the soul, and make it so full of that which is hateful to Christ, that he will hold no comfortable fellowship and communion with us. A great sin cannot destroy a Christian, but a little sin can make him miserable. Jesus will not walk with his people unless they drive out every known sin. He says, "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love, even as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love." (See here.)

Image public domain

How thankful I am for God's amazing grace. When those cute little foxes—the innocent, harmless, "little sins"—threaten to spoil the vine because I allow them to nibble away with their tiny little teeth at the corners of my life, God's Holy Spirit convicts of sin. By God's grace and with His strength, if I am willing to repent, I can be spared knowing what damage a full-grown fox will do to the garden of my life!

See My Life of Sin Testimony.
See The Worst Mother Ever!