The smallest sin

I have come to realize a simple truth that has changed me the past few days. Bro. Sam was preaching Sunday night out of Haggai ch 2. His sermon was about how the children of Israel who had been in captivity in Babylon for 70 years were finally told that they could go back and rebuild the temple. Not all of the Jews went back but some did and they got right to work on the temple and relaid the foundation. Then political and economical pressure came about and so they stopped working on the temple of God and instead worked on their own houses. They pushed aside the work of God and did their own thing for 16 years. Then Haggai came along and got them straightened out and they started rebuilding again. But the people started getting discouraged because God was not blessing their efforts. They were, in essence, saying "It's not fair. We are finally doing the right things but now it seems that God is not helping us." God basically tells them that just because they are doing all the right things on the outside, they still have sin in their heart on the inside and that is why God is not helping them.
This whole year I have felt like something was wrong. I couldn't figure out exactly what it was but something was definitely wrong. I felt like it was something wrong inside of ME, but it was having outward affects. Not only did I not have consistent joy and peace and love for others, this weird "something wrong" was making me react to my friends rudely and also not want to get out of bed in the morning. I wasn't caring what I looked like and I wasn't wanting to hang out with anyone... I was feeling very anti-social. Something was SO wrong with me but I couldn't figure out what it was. I was trying so hard to get out of bed in the morning in time to read my Bible and spend time with the Lord but I just couldn't drag myself out of bed. I would ask the Lord to help me get out of bed and give me energy but it was like he wasn't hearing me. I would ask him to speak to me in the preaching and it was like he would but then the next day (or even later that day) I would forget about what He said to me.
I finally realized Sunday night that the reason I had no joy and no peace and no consistency in my devotions and like the Lord was not helping me was because I was like the Jews.... I was doing all the right things: lots of ministries and trying do my devotions and trying to do the right things but I still had one "little" sin that I was refusing to give up. I asked the Lord to show me what it was that was hindering me and that thing that I considered so small was the first thing that popped into my head. So right after church I got rid of it and the everything feels better now. God is soooo good to me to reveal that. It's amazing to me that the God of the universe who created everything wants a sinner like me to be close to him and will go to great lengths to draw me back to him so many times.
Is there some sin in your life that you think is so small? Do you have true joy and peace and help from the Lord? If not, get rid of that "Little sin". It will make such a world of difference.
I'll try to post again soon. Keep checking back!