Have you ever played Whac-a-Mole? The game where a mole pops up and you are supposed to hit it with a mallet, but as you do another one pops up somewhere else. Then another and another. It’s similar to fighting real moles when they invade your yard. They seem to pop up elsewhere no matter what you do.

Lately, I’ve felt like that’s the way my health goes. I have one health need, tend to it and get it under control only to have another pop up. The older I get, the more problems pop up, and it’s a continual battle. Because of my autoimmune disease I struggle with my meds being out of balance, UTI’s, stomach issues, and the list goes on.

I won’t go into detail, but I’m sure many of you can relate. In order to stay in good health, you have to exercise, maintain a good diet, and keep an eye on symptoms that pop up like those nasty little moles. If you’re like me, you get one area under control, breathe a sigh of relief, only to have something else go wrong. Those ornery moles.

As I thought about this with my health, I had to stop and think about my spiritual life and the comparison there. Of course, it relates. We have to always be aware of little stumbling blocks that sneak into our lives. 

What are some of those moles that undermine our faith and pop up when least expected? Complacency comes to mind. Being comfortable where we are and wanting to stay there instead of stepping out and doing what God is asking us to do. We get in that comfortable rut. Doing something different for God can be uncomfortable and disconcerting. However, the benefits of following His call are numerous and well worth leaving our comfort zone.

Self might be another mole that rears its ugly head. Putting self before God or others is so easy to do. We make excuses about why we should be first and even overlook the fact that we are doing so. John the Baptist, when talking about Jesus in John 3:30 said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” This can be hard for us to remember in a society of people encouraged to better themselves or to stand out, but it’s essential to lift Jesus above self.

Although there are many moles out there trying to undermine our faith, one of the main ones might be pride. As Christians, we become so sure of our faith that we forget to check with God to see what His will is. The Israelites often did this in the book of Joshua. They would go up to battle against a city or accept a people without consulting God first and suffer the consequences. We must always ask God what His will is and not assume we know the best thing to do. God has called us to love and sometimes our pride can get in the way of our knowing how to show that love.

Although the game of Whac-a-mole might be fun, the reality of fighting an infestation of moles is not so fun. Whether we’re battling for our health or for our faith, we must always be aware and watch for those places that need work. Asking God daily for help to see what might be undermining us is important. 

“Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

      Do not cast me away from Your presence,

And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

      Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,

And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.”

Psalm 51: 10-12 (NKJV)