Callouses on your soul.
If anyone works in the yard for an hour or two and then washing his hands knows: the constant working reveals a hardening of the skin at the base of the fingers. Throw in some time changing a water pump in car or stacking some wood that’s been split and those hard spots get harder. Eventually, as we know, the callouses form.
The more pressure we put on our hands, the greater likelihood that callouses will develop. It’s not an evil result of some sinister yard-god but the simple reality of friction. If you work with your hands, and you do so vigorously, eventually callouses will develop; count on it. If callouses prevent you from doing other things, like holding your wife’s hand or driving, then the only way to safeguard those things is to keep from the activities that cause callouses (or wear gloves!).
Unfortunately, we don’t consider the cause-effect action on our souls that regular disobedience to God brings. Particularly, if you’ve never considered the eternal impact of your soul’s allegiances, you aren’t too bothered by letting it be ravaged – and ravaged it is.
Baxter reminds us that those who don’t believe in and follow Jesus Christ are facilitating the regular hardening of their souls that will lead to eternal loss:
Consider also that sin gets daily victories by your delay….It conquers our persuasions and advice; it conquers all the stirrings of your consciences; it conquers all you heartless purposes and deceitful promises. And these frequent conquests strengthen your sin and weaken your resistance and leave the matter almost hopeless….So when all means have been tried with you and yet you are unconverted, the case draws towards desperation itself: the very means are disabled more than before; that is you hearts are harder to be wrought upon by them….And it is these very same means and truths that you have frustrated that must do the work or it will never be done.
Friend, stop callousing your soul and turn to Jesus Christ without delay.
Pastor Gabe
Bent World 