The colder winter months have a few drawbacks. The days are shorter, cloudier, and, of course, colder. But one of my least favorite elements about winter is the drier climate. I’ve spent most of my life in arid desert climates, so I am no stranger to lack of humidity, but dealing with dry air can be a huge annoyance. When the moisture content in the air drops considerably, it has some unintended consequences; it can irritate skin, chap lips, and create hangnails.
Hangnails are the worst! As an adult, I have learned how to treat them; for my boys, they have not discovered how best to treat them. There is a preventative measure where you add moisture to your hands through creams, lotions, or oils; this should keep the hangnails from ever forming. A more reactionary response is that once a hangnail starts, cut it off as close to the skin as possible so that you don’t snag it, allowing healing to begin. My boys hate the thought of cutting them off. They don’t grasp that these are just loose pieces of skin and have no nerve endings, but if left alone, they will pull the skin that does. It is best to cut them off quickly before it causes more pain.
Hangnails are a part of life. They appear when you least expect it and can cause intense pain if left unchecked. They usually arrive when the air feels drier and darker, with more clouds in the sky. We get spiritual hangnails, too. They come unexpectedly in the dark seasons of our lives. But there’s hope. We can address them in the same way as the physical malady. These spiritual hangnails are the sins in our lives. If addressed quickly, they won’t cause more harm, but if we allow them to linger, they can have drastic and painful effects. The relief that comes from addressing these spiritual hangnails is profound, offering a path to healing and growth.
Matthew 18:7-9 – “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! 8 And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.”
We often hold onto our temptations and sins. We are unwilling to part with them. Like hangnails that need to go, we must be willing to cut off these troubles. If we never address these dangers, they can snag and drag us to where we do not want to go. It may seem drastic; however, this is the course of a reactionary life. It is much harder to address an issue once it has developed than if it had never cropped up in the first place. This thought leads us to psalms.
Psalm 19:7-14 – “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; 8 the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. 12 Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. 13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.”
When we dwell on the Word of God, it keeps us from ‘presumptuous sins’, and they won’t have ‘dominion over’ us. It is like a precious balm that keeps the hangnails from forming. Meditating on God’s wisdom has many benefits, bringing joy to the heart, light to the eyes, adding sweetness to life. Each of these is more desirable than that old piece of dangling flesh. We should be willing to address those snags on our bodies, not holding onto them like a precious commodity. Will you cut off the flesh this coming year, dwell on God’s restorative word, and deal with those pesky hangnails?