Why Do I Do What I Don’t Want to Do?

In review of John 8:32 it says,  “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (NIV)

Jesus himself is the truth that sets me free. He is the source of truth, the perfect standard of what is right. He frees me from continued slavery to sin, from self-deception, and from deception by Satan. He shows me clearly the way to eternal life with God. Thus, Jesus does not give me freedom to do what I want, but freedom to follow God. As I seek to serve God, Jesus' perfect truth frees me to be all that God meant for me to be.

Why do I do what I don’t want to do? Why is it so hard to do the things that I know are the right things to do?

My sinful nature often causes me to make the wrong choice. I can relate to the apostle Paul when he says, “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate . . . So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t” (Romans 7:15, 17-18 NLT).

Even after becoming a follower of Jesus, there’s this tension going on inside. I have a good nature that God gave me, but I also have my old sinful nature that is pulling at me.

But there is a way out! Jesus promised in John 8:32, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (NIV).

The secret to personal change is not willpower or something I do or say. It’s not a pill, resolution, or vow I make. The secret to personal change is something I know.

I know the truth. When I change the way I think, it changes the way I feel. And when I change the way I feel, it changes the way I act.

Behind every self-defeating act is a lie I believe. It may be a lie about myself, my past or future, God, or others.

Why do I do something that I know is bad for me? Because I think there’s some kind of payoff. That’s the lie! I can only change and fulfill God’s purpose for my life if I start with God’s truth. If I want to change the way I live, I need to start in my mind. I need to know and believe God’s truth.

When I know the truth, the truth will set me free.

In summary, Jesus tells me that I will know the truth if I follow him, and the truth will set me free. Jesus himself is that truth, the source and the perfect standard of what is right. He frees me from continued slavery to sin, self-deception, and from deception from the enemy. He clearly shows me the way to eternal life with God. Jesus does not give me freedom to do what I want, but rather freedom to follow God. As I seek to serve God, Jesus' perfect truth frees me to be all that God meant for me to be. So why do I do what I don't want to do? My sinful nature often causes me to make the wrong choice. I still have an old sinful nature that is pulling at me. There is a way out! The secret is not willpower or something I say. It's not a pill, resolution, or vow make. The secret is something I know. I know the truth. It will change the way I think, feel and act. Behind every self-defeating act is a lie I believe. I think there is a payoff and that's the lie. I can only change and fulfill God's purpose if I start with his truth. So, start in my mind. Know and believe God's truth. When I know the truth, it will set me free. 

I often get caught up in what I think is a payoff, and this in itself is the lie. I need to absorb and live out the truth Jesus gives me. Father this morning I pray for your Spirit to remind me when I start thinking about the payoff. Help me remain in your truth. I ask you today for wisdom and guidance for me day, and my activities. Help me to make any conversations I have with others be filled with grace. I pray these things in your Son Jesus' name, Amen.

Facing the Truth

In review of 1 John 1:8 this morning, it says  “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (NIV)

All, including myself, are sinners by nature and by practice. When I accepted Christ and God's free gift of salvation, all of my sins; past, present, and future were forgiven. Yet I still sin and still need to confess. This kind of confession is not offered to gain God's acceptance but to remove the barrier to fellowship that my sin has put between myself and God. It is difficult to admit my faults and shortcomings. It takes humility and honesty to recognize my weakness, especially when I'd rather pretend that I am strong. But, as I'm learning, I do not need to fear revealing my sins to God, he already knows them. He will not push me away, no matter what I've done. Instead, he will draw me closer to himself.

Sin always involves self-deception. At the moment I’m sinning, I’m deceiving myself because I think that what I’m doing will actually produce better results than what God has already told me to do.

To stop defeating myself, I must stop deceiving myself. I need to take an honest look at my life, face the truth, and deal with the issues. What in my life am I pretending isn’t a problem or I’m not addicted to? What am I saying “It’s no big deal” about?

I will not get healing until I first acknowledge the root of my problem. I don’t have to hit rock bottom before I really change. I don’t have to go the way of destruction. I can admit the root of the issue and then deal with it.

When asked, “What’s the biggest problem you encounter?” church counselors will say over and over, “People wait too long before they ask for help. Then it’s almost impossible to turn around.” Most are in denial about the problem, wait until it’s too late, and then go through unnecessary pain.

The Bible says, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8 NIV).

What are the hard questions I need to be asking about the sin in my life? What are the warning signs I’ve been ignoring?

If I want healing, I need to acknowledge the root of my problem and face the truth about myself. This is never the easy choice, but it’s always the right one.

God is working for me. With his power, I can overcome anything.

In summary if I claim to be without sin, I'm only deceiving myself and the truth is not in me. I am a sinner by nature and practice. When I accepted Christ into my life, all of my sins, past, present and future were forgiven. Yet I still sin and still need to confess. It's a confession offered not to gain God's acceptance but rather to remove the barrier to fellowship that my sin puts between us. It's difficult to admit my faults and shortcomings. It takes humility and honesty to recognize my weakness, especially when I'd rather pretend that I'm strong. There should be no fear on my part to reveal my sins to God, he already knows. Sin will always involve self-deception. I'm deceiving myself because I think that what I'm doing will actually produce better results than what God has already told me to do. To stop defeating myself, I need to stop deceiving myself and take an honest look, face the truth and deal with the issues. Healing will not come until I first acknowledge the root of my problem. With his power, I can overcome anything.

Father, this morning you have brought to mind several things. First I do sin and need to confess it to you to keep any barriers from having a full relationship with you. Secondly I’m not always humble about my weaknesses. I do like to pretend that I like to think that I am strong and not need anyone's help. Today Father I confess that I deceive myself thinking that what I’m doing will actually produce better results than what you have already told me to do. I ask you for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership and my interactions with others. Also help me work with my team to continue to make progress on resolving outstanding vulnerabilities. These things I pray in your Son Jesus name, Amen.

Four Ways God Speaks to Me

In review of Job 33:14 this morning, I read that  “God does speak—sometimes one way and sometimes another—even though people may not understand it.” (NCV)

God speaks again and again. He spoke in dreams and visions, through suffering, and by mediating angels. Yes, God is speaking to me, but am I listening for his voice? Today’s verse says God sometimes speaks one way, sometimes another.

So the question is, “How do I tune in so that I can hear him?”

Here are four of the channels that God uses:

1. God speaks to me through His Word, the Bible.

It’s my guidebook for life. It shows me the right step to take. That is why I need to read God’s Word every day. If I’m not having a daily quiet time and reading the Bible, It’s as if God is getting a busy signal when he wants to speak. I need to keep a constant connection because God’s will is found in God’s Word.

2. God speaks to me through teachers.

There’s no way a teacher could figure out exactly what to say to meet every need of those they are teaching. But God knows. Somehow, in the way only he can, God uses teaching to meet the needs of the people who are listening.

3. God speaks to me through impressions.

There are two extremes to this. One extreme is the rationalist who believes no impression can be from God; it all has to be logical. The other extreme is the mystical belief that every impression is from God. I need to get in the middle and realize that God only provides impressions that will match His Word.

4. God speaks to me through my circumstances.

If I’m going to live a life of significance, God will make constant course corrections, and one of the things he uses to do that is the circumstances of my life. When I start listening to God through circumstances, impressions, teachers, or the Bible, he may lead me in ways that I don’t understand.

I need to just hang in there! Following God is not always easy, but doing so will reap more blessing in my life than I can imagine.

In summary, God speaks, sometimes one way and sometimes another, even though I may not understand it. If God is speaking to me, am I listening for his voice? How do I tune in? Here are four channels that God uses: First he speaks to me through his Word, the guidebook for life. It shows me the right step to take. If I'm not getting into his Word, it's as if God is getting a busy signal when he wants to speak. Secondly he speaks to me through teachers. Somehow, in a way only he can, He uses teaching to meet the needs of the people who are listening. Thirdly he will speak through impressions, but not all. Only the ones that will match His word. Lastly he speaks through circumstances. In those he will make course corrections. Realizing and taking advantage of these ways will help me reap blessings and prepare me for how he wants to use me.

Father, I am so happy that I’m on board with getting into your Word frequently. I know it’s a primary source for hearing from me. It’s what I pray for when I start my quiet times. I pray this morning that I continue to listen to You through circumstances, impressions, teachers, and your Word. I ask for your Spirit to help me realize this through the course of my day and circumstances. I ask you for wisdom and guidance for my activities today, my leadership of others, management of projects, and interactions with others. These things I pray in your Son Jesus name, Amen.

Two Steps Toward Knowing God’s Will

In review of James 1:5 I read, “If you want to know what God wants you to do, ask him, and he will gladly tell you, for he is always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who ask him.” (TLB)

By "wisdom," James is talking not only about knowledge but about the ability to make wise decisions in difficult circumstances. When I need wisdom, I can pray to God and he will generously supply what I need. There is no need for me to stumble upon answers. I can ask for God's wisdom to guide my choices.

The wisdom I need has three distinct characteristics: (1) It is practical. It relates to life even during the most trying times. It's wisdom in which trials are overcome. An intelligent person may have profound ideas, but a wise person puts them into action. A wise person chooses a most likely reason and proceeds to take action. (2) It is divine. It goes beyond common sense. It begins with respect for God and leads to living by God's direction, and results in the ability to tell right from wrong. (3) It is Christlike. Asking for wisdom is ultimately asking to be like Christ.

If I want to know God’s will, then start with these two steps:

1. Admit that I need guidance. Psalm 25:9 says, “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way” (NIV). If I’ve never felt God guiding me, maybe it’s because I’ve never admitted that I need his guidance. I go to work assuming that I know what to do without praying about it. I make financial decisions, vacation plans, or career decisions before stopping to pray about them. I think I know, but I might want to stop and admit that I need guidance, because it’s the first step in getting God’s will for my life.

2. Ask God in faith for direction.

In James 1:5-6, “If you want to know what God wants you to do, ask him, and he will gladly tell you, for he is always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who ask him; he will not resent it. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to tell you, for a doubtful mind will be as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind” (TLB). 

There are two keys to knowing God’s wisdom. First, I need to ask the right person: God. Then, I ask with the right attitude: expecting God to answer. Have you ever asked God to lead me, but not expect him to? I must ask, expecting God to answer.

God honors faith, and he promises wisdom for the next step of my life.

In summary, If I want to know what God wants me to do, ask him, he will gladly tell me. It's not only knowledge, but the ability to make wise decisions in difficult circumstances. There is no need for me to stumble upon answers. I can ask for God's wisdom to guide my choices. God's wisdom has three distinct characteristics: First it's practical as it relates to what's happening and helps me put it into action. Secondly it's divine, as it goes beyond common sense. It begins with respect for God and leads to living by God's direction, resulting in the ability to tell right from wrong. Lastly it's Christlike. Asking for wisdom is ultimately asking to be like Christ. To know God's will I'll need to start with first admitting I need guidance and then asking God in faith for direction.The keys are to ask the right person: God and then to ask with the right attitude, expecting him to answer. God will honor my faith and promise wisdom for the next step of my life.

This morning Father, I ask for your wisdom and guidance for my day, my tasks, my leadership and my interaction with others. This I pray in your Son Jesus name, Amen.