Still Water Moments: When in Sin, Run to God, not Away!
1 Peter 2:24 He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; by His wounds you were healed.
When we are tempted to sin, have sinned, or are engaging in ongoing sin, our flesh may be naturally inclined to run from God just as Adam and Eve did in the garden. They hid from God after they disobeyed Him, furthermore, they clothed themselves due to their shame. You may feel embarrassed and ashamed to keep going to God with the same sin/struggle to the point where 1) you’re picturing Him shaking His head at you and lamenting, “you did it again…” and 2) you’re tempted not to even confess or go to Him because you’ve failed so many times you think it’s impossible to change and think you need to accept “this is just how I am”. In reality, it’s good we keep going to Him because it’s indicating we know we can’t make it without Him. It’s actually pride if we give in to thinking “that is just how I am” and give up. This attitude also dismisses the great sacrifice Christ made for us in His death as He knew we would sin. It is as if we are saying His sacrifice was not sufficient enough to cover our sins.
God is inexhaustible in the ways we can know Him. For example, He’s our Master, Healer, Provider, Protector and so much more! He’s also our Forgiver and Grace Giver but we don’t know that if we don’t experience it!
Moreover, John 15:5-6 tells us that we are the branches that must remain connected to the vine, (Jesus Christ), and that apart from Him we can do nothing, including withstand sin. The enemy would have us think that we can’t approach God until we “get right” but since that can never happen apart from God, it creates a precarious situation of gradually distancing ourselves from the only One that can help us. John 15:5-6 goes on to tell us that if we don’t remain in Him, we’ll be like a branch that is thrown away, withered, and thrown into a fire: exactly what the enemy aims to see happen! God knows we are not strong enough to withstand sin on our own and require His help. Note what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” We experience that power when we go to Him.
We were never meant to change for the better on our own, nor do we have that ability. God is the One who brings positive change in us, and it typically happens over time, what we refer to as progressive sanctification.
Let’s look at an example. Let’s say your issue is having a short temper and when you lose it, you say reckless things and curse. You find yourself in a conversation where you feel yourself getting angry with someone and you quickly mentally pray, “God help me!” Perhaps you end up losing it and say three curse words when normally you say 5+. Sanctification is gradual and we will never be perfect, but with the Holy Spirit’s help we will grow and improve! Every victory in the fight against sin is worth celebrating no matter how small! Keep checking in with God, confessing sin, and listen to Him. He will show you how to address the struggle in increments that you can handle. If he showed us all the ways we needed to change and expected it to happen immediately, we would be overwhelmed. He is a patient Father, lovingly guiding us step by step to improvement and picking us up when we fall. This is when we truly experience His unconditional love, proving He is there no matter what!
Reflective Question: How do I picture God responding to me when I confess my sins? If necessary, what scripture can I use to remind myself that He loves me unconditionally?
