Excuses. We all have made them. And the enemy is more than glad to bring his bag of excuses and hand them off to us if we have run out of them.
For instance, “I just can’t help myself.” True, but God can help you. And He is not expecting you to do this alone. He will be with you every step of the way, from conviction to liberation. Jesus has already set us free from the power of sin, now we must choose to work with Him so that we can actually use this authority over sin to stay free from sin.
Or how about: “I know I am not perfect, but we can’t all be Mother Teresa.” Nor is God asking you to be her. But He is commanding you to trust Him because He has something much better for you than that sin could ever promise.
So here’s the thing, sin makes all sorts of promises, but never delivers. This is how the enemy strings us along. We fall for his lies and then we sin, which might fill us for a whole second or two, but then we are left more empty than before.
The enemy whispers, “Eat this yummy snack and you will be satisfied”…but an hour later, you are craving that unhealthy food again! Or maybe, “Buy that new “whosie-what’s-it” and you will feel complete”…even though you can’t afford it, which the enemy would never remind you, then the thing gets old… quick… and no longer makes you feel good…and you are left having to pay for it! Or how about, “Look at that guy over there, he would treat you right”…even though you are married and…well, I shouldn’t have to explain all the destruction and heartbreak following that lie would bring, right?
Sin is deceptive because it never presents the full story. Sin is unfulfilling because we were not created to live for MMI. Sin is an inferior and lazy way to live our lives since it’s not focused on loving God and others, which IS what we were created for, and takes lots of time and effort on our part. But God has something so, so much higher waiting for us. Yet if my hands are completely filled with grimy dirt, how can I receive the Goodness God desires for me? Hey I am preaching to myself just as much as I am trying to teach you. So let’s choose to stop the excuses. Repent. Turn to God and let Him remove that sin. Sometimes it is an immediate deliverance. Other times, we are going to have to really dig in deep with God and work on letting it go. Either way, it will be more than worth it when we are free of it.
2023’s Got A Minute? Book Club
January: The First & Best Book Ever: The Bible
February: Love Is In the Air: “The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts” by Gary Chapman
March: Spring Growth: “Secrets of the Vine” by Bruce Wilkinson
<>< Peace, Diane
