Icebergs and sin are similar.
Icebergs change colors and shapes as they age. Some surfaces break off into the sea and become icebergs themselves. Accumulating precipitation increases its size over time. They continue growing in the cold waters of the Arctic and Antarctica, where most of them form. When drifting into warmer waters, icebergs can break apart or melt entirely. Although they are made of freshwater, we find them in salt-filled oceans.
An iceberg led to the sinking of the Titanic—the “unsinkable ship”—on its maiden voyage on April 15, 1912. More than fifteen hundred passengers and crew died. Edward John Smith, the ship’s captain, reportedly said, “Not even God himself could sink this ship,” but an iceberg did when the captain ignored a series of warnings about icebergs in the area.
When engineers built the Titanic, it was the largest manufactured mobile object in the world. The most up-to-date technology and engineering went into the ship’s design. By all standards, it was the most luxurious and safest vessel in the world. But whether millionaires or immigrants, each passenger faced the same fate.
Icebergs are like sin—breathtakingly beautiful but destructive for those venturing too close. Pieces of icebergs can kill or cause significant waves to capsize boats.
The Titanic holds a spiritual application. An iceberg’s danger is what you can’t see since only about 10 percent of an iceberg rises above the water. Ninety percent lies underwater with an unknown shape or location. Sin in our life is like an iceberg. We may see irresistible beauty, but the hidden part can destroy us.
Because sin appeals to us doesn’t mean it’s good for us. The Bible contains instructions for living. Being mindful of what we see is beneficial, but being concerned about the 90 percent we can’t see is imperative. Don’t risk getting too close to sin. It can be irresistibly enticing.
How can you be more aware of the icebergs of sin in your life?
(photo courtesy of pixabay.com.)
(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
Andy is a published multi-award-winning author with devotions appearing on the Christian Devotions website as well as the CBN website. He is a contributing author in the Starr Ayers/Stephanie Pavlantos book Room at the Table. Currently, he is working on his first novel and is assembling a book of inspirational Scripture-based short stories along with moral, personal, family, and comical stories. Andy is the founder and director of H.O.P.E. Ministries in Candler, NC. While operating primarily as a food ministry, they also provide backpacks, Easter baskets, and Christmas shoebox gifts to crisis pregnancy centers, domestic violence shelters, schools, government agencies, and other ministries. They also provide disaster relief and aid for unwed mothers and their children.