Three Billy Goats...

Today at school I taught the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff. If you don’t know the story here it is:

Once upon a time there were three billy goats, who were to go up to the hillside to make themselves fat, and the name of all three was "Gruff." On the way up was a bridge over a cascading stream they had to cross; and under the bridge lived a great ugly troll , with eyes as big as saucers, and a nose as long as a poker. So first of all came the youngest Billy Goat Gruff to cross the bridge.
"Trip, trap, trip, trap! " went the bridge.
"Who's that tripping over my bridge?" roared the troll .
"Oh, it is only I, the tiniest Billy Goat Gruff , and I'm going up to the hillside to make myself fat," said the billy goat, with such a small voice.
"Now, I'm coming to gobble you up," said the troll.
"Oh, no! don't take me. I'm too little, that I am," said the billy goat. "Wait a bit till the second Billy Goat Gruff comes. He's much bigger."
"Well, be off with you," said the troll.
A little while after came the second Billy Goat Gruff to cross the bridge.Trip, trap, trip, trap, trip, trap, went the bridge.
"Who's that tripping over my bridge?" roared the troll.
"Oh, it's the second Billy Goat Gruff , and I'm going up to the hillside to make myself fat," said the billy goat, who hadn't such a small voice.
"Now I'm coming to gobble you up," said the troll.
"Oh, no! Don't take me. Wait a little till the big Billy Goat Gruff comes. He's much bigger."
"Very well! Be off with you," said the troll.
But just then up came the big Billy Goat Gruff . Trip, trap, trip, trap, trip, trap! went the bridge, for the billy goat was so heavy that the bridge creaked and groaned under him.
"Who's that tramping over my bridge?" roared the troll.
"It's I! The big Billy Goat Gruff ," said the billy goat, who had an ugly hoarse voice of his own.
"Now I 'm coming to gobble you up," roared the troll. But the billy goat butted the troll right off the bridge into the river below and was never heard from again. After that the billy goat went up to the hillside. The three billy goats lived on the hillside forever.

As I was telling this story I began to think about the lesson that this story has. Please, bear with me, I’m making some big stretches here. I’m going to compare the troll to us, and the three billy goats to Satan. We are just walking along, living our life when Satan comes along and entices us. And although we may know that what we are doing is wrong Satan says to us, “It’s not that big of a deal, you can just wait to take care of this!” And we are foolish enough to get more involved in that sin, not taking care of the sin while it is a small matter. Until one day, that sin knocks us right off our feet. I know, it’s a stretch, but as I was telling this simple story I couldn’t help but be reminded that each time we are willing to give into a “small sin” Satan finds an even bigger sin to tempt us with the next time until he has “knocked us” off our spiritual feet. I pray that God gives me the courage and strength each day to “put away the things of this world” before it is too late.