Everyone says that this love bug season is the worst in their memory. Clouds of the red and black bugs seem to be everywhere. Just driving in this mess results in smashed bugs on your vehicle. Local car washes are doing big business. The bugs are not poisonous, they don’t bite or sting. Their overwhelming presence is more of an annoyance than anything else. I am told that these bugs are a type of fly. Whatever they are I will be glad when the love bug season is over.
Seeing my truck plastered with these dead bugs reminds me of a Bible verse. Solomon tells us in Eccles. 10:1: “Dead flies putrefy the perfumer's ointment, and cause it to give off a foul odor; so does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor”. Solomon’s observation of dead flies spoiling the ointment is to teach us to be careful with foolish behavior. We may not engage in anything overtly sinful but we can be foolish and thoughtless. We can speak unkindly to a family member and hurt them with our words. We can give a dirty look to someone in traffic. We can ignore those who need our attention and gossip about our co-workers. These little foolish acts may not be considered as gross sins but they can spoil the beautiful character that Christ is trying to form in our lives. They can resemble smashed love bugs on a white car.
I finally had enough of the bugs plastered over the front end of my truck. I pulled in the back yard got the hose and scrub brush out and commenced to wash the bugs off. I know I may have to do the same thing several times before the season is over but I just had to get my truck clean. God’s people are encouraged to seek daily cleansing from their sins and foolish behavior. 1 John 1:9 says: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”. Don’t you think it’s time to wash the bugs off?