A monkey on my back

Cast your burden on the Lord and He shall sustain you. Psalm 55:22

CAN YOU IMAGINE having a monkey on your back all day long? I think the best
word to describe this would be nightmare.
I heard the expression “a monkey on my back” used during a television inter-
view of a sports celebrity. He was a man in possession of at least two of the little
golden coins the world covets: money, fame, and love. But it was curious! His face
did not show happiness.
“I’ve been stupid, an idiot,” he was saying.
Who was he, and why did he say these things about himself?
It was Alex Rodriguez, for many one of the best baseball players in the world.
Also the highest paid, and one of the most envied players. In that moment, in front
of ESPN’s cameras, Alex Rodriguez was confessing that he had used steroids
during three seasons (2001-2003) with the Texas Rangers.
Why did Alex need steroids if he was already one of the best players in the
league?
“When I came to Texas in 2001,” he explained, “I felt enormous pressure. It felt
like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders, and that I had to perform 110
percent every day.”
It is true that he had just signed a multi-million dollar contract: twenty-five
million per season, and all of the pressure that comes with that salary. But was
there another reason?
"I wanted to prove that I was one of the best players of all time, I told myself
that 'everyone’s doing it.' "
"Everyone is doing it." Does this justify the use of drugs' For a moment I felt sorry
for him, and after the interview I realized his courage in admitting his faults and
asking forgiveness.
“I’m very sorry for what I did," he said. “Today I want to remove this monkey
off my back.”
This is a very vivid way "I expressing how one feels after having done
something wrong. Is there some sin in your life that you haven't confessed to the
Lord? There's no need for you to carry this “monkey on your back. The blood of
Jesus still cleanses our sins.