Some failures cannot be fixed by getting a new sheet of paper and starting over. If the pencil is broken, rewriting the assignment won’t make the work neater.

As Christians, God’s Word provides the master image in front of the class that we’re supposed to copy. Scripture reveals what our portrait is supposed to look like. When we see an error on our paper, we try to correct it. But sometimes we assume, wrongly, that our motivation is right, it was just poor execution. We really should be more quick to take a look at the pencil.

Solomon used a different illustration: “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:26). If the spring is polluted, the shape of bottle you use to contain it can’t purify the water. If the source is contaminated, giving it a pristine name won’t make it clean. If the fountain is messed up, everything downstream will be too, no matter how many EPA officials declare it suitable for drinking.

God’s Word tests our hearts. It sets the standard for our work. His law points out the problems in our behavior in order to bring to light the problems in our hearts. We confess too little when we confess disobedience if we do not also confess that the disobedience came out of us (Mark 7:20-23). We need a new pencil, a new spring, better love, not just better behavior.