A Trip To Sin City

I have a confession to make. I went to “sin city”! Yes, the infamous Las Vegas. There, I admitted it. For this small town girl, a typical drive around town does not consist of skyscraper buildings. I rarely look around and see hotels higher than four stories. So you can imagine the excitement I felt when my husband and I had the opportunity to go to Las Vegas. Not only was the thought of these amazing buildings exciting, I have always been a sucker for city lights. When I was younger, one of my favorite pastimes was driving to the top of a mountain peak and seeing life from this vantage point. It seemed to make my problems seem insignificant and my God very significant.

As we began to share with others about our upcoming trip we were met with some unexpected reactions. “Sin city, why would you ever go to such a place?” “What is a good girl like you going to do in a city like that?” “Oh, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas! Wink. Wink.” By the time our trip arrived I was almost feeling guilty about going. After all, how could I explain such excitement and anticipation for a trip to “sin city”?

Beautiful! Simply breathtaking! Words cannot describe the multi-colored sky we viewed as we watched the sun set on top of the Strastosphere. The skyline was in constant motion as swirls of amber, periwinkle and soft yellow chased the sun behind the distant mountain peaks. The beauty didn’t end with sunset. As the sky turned to black, “sin city” became a beautiful sight of twinkling lights. Once again my problems all seemed so insignificant. I felt the calm assurance and the overwhelming peace of my very significant God.

On the plane ride home that guilty feeling started to stir inside of me again. How could I share with people back home all the wonderful and amazing sites we saw in “sin city”? What would people think of me? Then the Holy Spirit reminded me “sin city” is not a place on a map; it is a place in your heart. In Matthew, Jesus explains that sin begins within our own heart and mind. Our sinful thoughts turn into sinful actions. What a powerful reminder that we need to take our thoughts captive to the Word of God. We must purify our hearts every day or we will be “sin city.”

PRAYER: Father, may your Word show me where I need to “clean up” my heart. May my actions be a reflection of Your love, mercy and grace to the lost souls around me.

“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make man ‘unclean,’” Matthew 15:19-20 (NIV).