Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23, 24)
I’m not a very good judge of my own character but I’m an expert at spotting the faults of others. When I do consider how I fall short, I grade myself on a curve, and since there are always people that appear to sin worse than me, I give myself a passing grade. Another way I excuse my sin is to rationalize my behavior or blame others for it. If left to myself, I often simply ignore my sins altogether.
“He who has been forgiven little loves little.”(Luke 7:47)
If we don’t think our sins are that bad, we won’t see the need to change. But overwhelming love is the response of those who realize the extent of their sin and experience the amazing grace of God who forgives us completely.
We may not have murdered anyone or robbed a bank, but what about the subtle areas of sinfulness, such as pride, selfishness, unbelief, greed, envy, lust, and impatience? If we don’t confess these to God and ask him to help us on our road to repentance, we’ll be severely handicapped in our mission to get closer to God.
Your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. (Isaiah 59:2)
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14)
God has blessed us with many fun things to enjoy, especially in our affluent culture. But we need to be careful that we don’t chase after and love the creation more than the Creator. Otherwise, our purpose in life becomes nothing more than feeding our appetite for what A. W. Tozer called our self-sins: self-indulgence, self-pity, self-absorption, self-aggrandizement, self-deception, self-exaltation, self-sufficiency and a host of others just like them. People who claim they can do whatever they want are never truly satisfied. That’s because the “self” is a harsh taskmaster who is never satisfied for long with our performance to carry out our selfish desires. We need to be set free from the childish habit of always wanting to get our own way, of acting like overgrown little boys and girls who refuse to carry out the responsibilities that God gave men and women to perform. We can’t be filled with the Spirit if we’re full of ourselves.
The beginning of a new year has traditionally been a time of introspection and setting goals. But anytime is a good time to reflect on how we’re doing with obeying God. We have been acquitted of our sins and justified before God through the blood of his Son, but as Paul explains in Romans 6:1 &2,
“Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!
We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?”
How much spiritual fruit is manifest in how we treat others? This is a barometer on how much we love Christ. First there is an evaluation, then comes confession, which should be followed by repentance. Each of these steps should include an invitation from us to God to help us succeed. He is not waiting for us to get our act together before he works with us. He knows we need him to live a Godly life. This process bonds us together.
The sins of omission are not as obvious as the sins of commission. I may not harm you but I may ignore you and remain indifferent to your plight. I also give God the cold shoulder when I don’t give him the time of day and go on my merry way and do my own thing.
“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself,
and take up his cross and follow Me.” (Matthew 16:24)
Three exercises are necessary to accomplish the verse above: identification, relinquishment, and devotion.
Identify your attachments: What are the most precious things in your life; things you don’t think you could live without? What do you think about the most and spend the most time doing? Or worry about the most?
Relinquish your grip on your stuff and anything you’re putting ahead of pursuing Christ. Free up your time, talent, and treasure for the kingdom.
Devote yourself to following Christ. Consecrate, set apart your whole life, not just a part of it to him. Submit your dreams and worries to Christ. Let his will, not yours, be done. Give up your own rights for the good of others.
These exercises are easier said than done and our natural sinful desires are too strong to be overcome by sheer willpower alone. We need something more enticing to chase. That’s why pursuing God is so vital. A close walk with him makes sin less attractive
I pray… that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
(Ephesians 3:17, 19)
Dig Deeper
The first step in a recovery program is to admit we have a problem. It’s also the first step in overcoming sin in our lives.
- Ask some of your family and close friends to help you see your blind spots. Ask questions like, “What is it like to be with me? What do I do that hurts you? How could I better love you? Am I a good listener? Do I show interest in others or talk mostly about myself? Am I a positive influence or do I complain often?” Let their answers guide you in a time of confession.
- Set aside some time for self-examination. Ask yourself, “Who have I injured through thoughtlessness, neglect or anger? Who do I need to forgive?” Ask the Holy Spirit to bring these people to mind. Then apologize to them and forgive those who have hurt you.
Dive In!
Take your spiritual pulse:
We need to ask ourselves how we’re doing on the following qualities. This is not a legalistic list of requirements, but rather, some indicators of spiritual maturity. It reveals what is captivating our hearts and shows us where we need to grow.
- I have a daily quiet time for prayer and Bible study
- I memorize and recite scripture often
- I keep a prayer list and pray for those people and concerns
- I share my testimony with others when there are opportunities
- I pray regularly for lost people by name
- I give generously to my church and other ministries
- I seek reconciliation and forgiveness when needed
- I am trusting God and involving him in everything I do
- I treat my spouse, children, and others with love and respect
- I have compassion for those who are hurting and I help them
- I pray regularly with my spouse and children
- I use my tongue to encourage rather than criticize or cuss
- I am not easily angered or offended
- I honor God by my choices of entertainment
- I keep in touch with the Lord throughout the day
- I have a grateful heart for all the blessings I receive from God
So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home
in the body or away from it. (2 Corinthians 5:9)
Dwell in His secret place 