Mosaic (Sept 5)

We enjoyed the last of summer with a quick trip to South Dakota for the Lifelight Music Festival. My daughter’s favorite musician, Ann Wilson, was playing—and since it was a free festival, we couldn’t resist. Some friends were interested in going too, so we packed up and made the six-hour trek south together.

It felt like coming full circle. We’d actually been to this same festival 20 years ago with some of these same friends—before kids, before the busy years of parenting and work. Back then, we camped in a cornfield and drove through the night to make it home in time for work the next day. This time, our pace was slower, but the joy of shared memories remained.

On the way home, we made a quick detour to Minneapolis to catch a Minnesota Lynx WNBA game. My daughter and I were thrilled to see Napheesa Collier (this year’s MVP) and Paige Bueckers (the number one draft pick) play up close. We were both a little awe-struck.

But what really stuck with me wasn’t the game itself—it was a small, unexpected moment. During play, one of the athletes lost her contact lens. The referee blew the whistle, and suddenly everyone on the court dropped what they were doing to search for it. When she finally found it, she picked it up and, without hesitation, popped it right back into her eye.

And that’s when the entire crowd groaned in unison.

You know the kind of groan I’m talking about—the collective “Eww, don’t do that!” that rises up from thousands of people at once. It was like everyone instantly agreed: that was gross.

She laughed and smiled at the reaction, but it got me thinking later:How rare it is to see a crowd so unified in their response to something. We live in a culture divided about nearly everything. But that night, everyone was on the same page about one simple thing: you don’t put something from a dirty gym floor into your eye.

And then this thought hit me: we often don’t see that kind of shared response when it comes to sin.

Imagine if every time I was selfish or prideful, there was a collective groan around me.If someone spread gossip or used hurtful words, the whole room sighed in protest.If envy, greed, or lust crept in, everyone’s reaction was instantly, “No, don’t do that!”

Would we be shocked that someone noticed and cared? Would we feel embarrassed, defensive, maybe even angry? Or would we humbly repent and turn back to the Lord?

The truth is, my own inner groan is often the loudest. It’s the voice that says:“Ugh, why did I do that again?”“Lord, how can I still be struggling with this?”

It’s the Spirit at work, convicting me, calling me to lift my eyes to God in grief and repentance rather than sinking into shame.

Psalm 123:2 says,

“Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he has mercy upon us.”

I love that image. When I sin, my first instinct is often to turn inward—to wallow in guilt or scramble to fix things myself. But Scripture reminds me to look upward instead, like a servant looking to their master with trust and dependence.

The reality is, I’m not perfect. I stumble, I struggle, and I wrestle with the pull of the world, the flesh, and the devil. But here’s the good news: Jesus has already overcome the world (John 16:33). The victory isn’t mine to win—it’s His. And because of His death and resurrection, I can come to Him freely, knowing He will complete the good work He began in me (Phil. 1:6).

That doesn’t mean the Christian life is easy. It means we’re called to persevere—to keep turning to Christ again and again. Repentance isn’t just a one-time event; it’s a rhythm of lifting our eyes to the Lord each day, trusting His mercy, and following Him step by step.

The crowd at that game was right about one thing: putting something dirty in your eye is a bad idea. But far worse than a dusty contact lens are the subtle ways sin tries to slip into our lives unnoticed. When the Spirit convicts us, may we respond—not with defensiveness or denial like King Asa did when confronted—but with humble surrender.

The next time you feel that inner groan of conviction, pause and ask:“Lord, what are You showing me here? How can I turn from this and follow You more faithfully?” Trust that his grace is sufficient for you.

When was the last time you felt the ‘groan’ of conviction over sin—and how did you respond?

On the Blog

In Articles

Are you Correctable? | Darryl Dash

Well, we always need to be reminded of the truth that facing our sin is hard, especially when it's our pride. He invites us to humility and repentance.

Common Threats to Biblical Friendship | Marci Ferrell

Friendship isn't always easy, but it is always worth the work. Here Marci looks at what puts our friendships at risk and how to respond with grace, humility and gospel hope.

Parenting Kids Who Head to the Missionfield | Michael Kruger

This article shares about trusting our children to God completely. And you'll find a longer interview between David Platt and Michael and Melissa Kruger on parenting their kids to the mission field. It's a big challenge for us as parents, but also so beautiful and wonderful for God's will to be done in our child's life.

Why Does Life Feel So Unsatisfying? | Matthew McCullough

Maybe this is where you're at these days. Reality is, sometimes we get in a slump and perhaps this question comes to mind. So if that's you—or if you've never thought about whether your life is satisfying and what that means—keep reading!

Meet Mariel | Our Daily Bread Ministries

My friend Mariel has her first Bible study releasing this October with Our Daily Bread—on the book of Ruth! In this video, she shares her journey from life as an atheist to discovering a deep love for God’s Word and a passion for helping others study it.