Don't Be a Snail Eater

I have, well, actually the family has goldfish. You may remember the blog I wrote a while back about the new fish tank. The new tank is working well, I still haven't had to clean it, but I think that day is fast approaching.

The fish are doing well, and over the past few months, I added a new species to to the tank- snails. Yep, you can buy a snail at the store for about a dollar and they are supposed to crawl their way around the tank, and keep the sides clean.

I'm all about convenience, so I bought two of them. If they can keep the tank cleaner, I'm all for it.

Of the first two that we bought, one died, or so I thought. I bought a replacement that died, and now the third one is dead also. They are not just dead. They are gone. Their shells are now empty.

I'm not the quickest guy, but I think I figured it out. The goldfish have been eating the snails. Those cute little golden fish that are supposed to be nice have been carnivorous piranhas that have ruined my small little ecosystem.

Do goldfish eat snails regularly? Apparently yes. I didn't know that. I thought they would live together in harmony.

In Victory Blog fashion, I was trying to think what theological implications that this has. What does it mean?

We attack things that are different?

We eat what we shouldn't?

We shouldn't eat snails?

Then it occurred to me. I am a human. I am not a fish. I did not evolve from them. I was created. It got me thinking- those fish are just following their impulses. They're fish. That's what they do. They see something move and try to eat it.

Fish are stupid. I am not. I can make decisions that fish do not.

Here's a great verse- Romans 6:16 Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.

Yes, that verse isn't about fish eating snails, but it made me think- those fish are slave to their desires- that's why they ate the snails. As a human, I can easily become a slave to a desire that I have, that may not be the ideal that God has for my life (sin).

I can make the decisions on what I choose to do or not do that line up with the word of God. I don't have to be a slave to my desires. I can be a slave to righteous (correct) living.

Is there a desire that you are allowing to control you? Are you a slave to it? Be set free in Jesus name and become a slave to righteousness!

You don't have to be a snail eater.

Be blessed
matt