My Sin Is Never Private

In Romans 14:7 I read, “None of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone.” (NIV)

Sin may be secret, but it’s never private. It will either come out now, here on earth, or at Judgment Day, but it’s going to be known.

Numbers 32:23 is one of the scariest verses in the Bible: “You may be sure that your sin will find you out” (NIV).

Another reason why sin is never private is because everything I do, good or bad, affects others, even if they don’t know what’s going on.

If someone close to me stayed up all night doing some really immoral things and then saw me in the morning, I would notice something was off. I might not know what happened, but the result of their sin would be obvious in the way they behaved. Very few people could act as if nothing happened.

It doesn’t even have to be some big sin you commit. It could be the sin of omission. If I have a regular quiet time with God and then go a few days without spending time in God’s presence, there’s probably going to be a difference in how I react to people and circumstances. That’s because when I’m not plugged in, I don’t have spiritual power to fight sin.

The Bible says in Romans 14:7, “None of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone” (NIV).

A lot of people will say, “What I do with my life is no one else’s business. As long as I’m not hurting anybody, why should anyone else care?” But I am hurting others. God made me to be connected to people, and what I do and say always has an effect on others.

Sin affects me in ways I don’t even realize, and then my actions affect others. When I sin, it cuts me off from God’s power and keeps me from my potential. It limits the good I can do and the impact I could have.

Isn’t it sad to think of what myself and others are missing when I’m not at my God-given best? There is only one way to move past the sin that holds me back and hurts others: Confess it.

In summary, I do not live or die for myself only. Sin in my life may be secret, but it will never be private. It will either come out now, or at Judgment Day, but it will be known. Everything I do, good or bad, affects others, even if they don’t know what’s going on. It doesn’t even have to be some big sin. If I go several days without my quiet time, there will be a difference in how I react to people and circumstances. When I’m not plugged in, I won’t have spiritual power to fight sin. Also a lot think and say, “What I do with my life is no one else’s business. As long as I’m not hurting anybody, why should anyone else care?” But it will hurt others. God made me to be connected to people, and what I do and say always has an effect on others. Sin affects me in ways I don’t even realize and my affect others. Sin cuts me off from God’s power and keeps me from my potential. It limits the good I can do and the impact I could have. There is only one way to move past the sin that holds me back and hurts others: Confess it.

I have experienced times when I have missed my weekday quiet times and can see where my day didn’t go well and I didn’t treat others right. I can see where unconfessed sin can affect my closeness with God and make me react differently. I pray Father that I can bring to mind anything that is unconfessed sin so that I may ask for forgiveness. With the power of the Holy Spirit, help me to be consistent in my times with you, as it does make a difference in how I interact with others. I ask you today for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership and my interactions with others. I thank you for the healing I have received. I will put my trust in you for my future. I pray these things in your Son Jesus’ name, amen.

 

It’s Time to Start Doubting My Doubts

In John 16:9 I read, “The world’s sin is unbelief in me.” (TLB)

At the root of every sin rests at least a momentary doubt about God.

In John 16:9 Jesus says, “The world’s sin is unbelief in me” (TLB). If I don’t believe Jesus is who he says he is or he’ll do what he says he’ll do, that’s the root of all sin.

Here are some emotions I can look for that can help me know when I’m doubting God.

When I become impatient, it reveals my doubt in God’s perfect timing. God has a plan for my life, but he’s never going to be in a hurry. That’s easy to forget when I want things to happen on my own timetable, so I take matters into my own hands instead of waiting on God.

When I become resentful or bitter, it reveals my doubt in God’s wisdom. God is wise and good and loving. But when things don’t turn out like I plan or want, I think he messed up somehow. And I don’t believe he can bring good out of bad.

When I dwell in guilty feelings, it reveals my unbelief in God’s forgiveness. How long should a follower of Jesus feel guilty? About one second. That’s how long it takes to confess a sin. If I’m carrying around guilt, it means I can’t forgive myself because I don’t believe God has forgiven me.

When I feel inadequate, it reveals my doubt in God’s power. God has said his power shows up best in my weakness. But when I don’t believe that, it shows I think power should come only from myself. If I think that, I’m always going to be disappointed.

If I want to turn around those feelings of fear, impatience, resentment, guilt, and inadequacy; Then I need to start doubting my doubts.

If I believe in God’s Word, I can trust what it says about God and the way he feels about me and takes care of me. I can trust that God keeps his promises, has perfect timing, is wise, forgives me, and works powerfully through me.

In summary, Jesus says the world’s sin is unbelief in him. At the root of every sin rests a momentary doubt about God. If I don’t believe Jesus is who he says he is or he’ll do what he says he’ll do, that’s the root of all sin. There are some emotions I can look for that can help me know when I’m doubting God. First, when I become impatient, it reveals my doubt in God’s perfect timing. God has a plan, but he’s never going to be in a hurry. That’s easy to forget especially when I want things to happen on my own timetable, so I end up taking matters into my own hands instead of waiting on God. Secondly, when I become resentful or bitter, it reveals my doubt in God’s wisdom. When things don’t turn out like I plan or want, I think he messed up. And I don’t believe he can bring good out of bad. Thirdly, when I dwell in guilty feelings, it reveals my unbelief in God’s forgiveness. If I’m carrying around guilt, it means I can’t forgive myself because I don’t believe God has forgiven me. Lastly, when I feel inadequate, it reveals my doubt in God’s power. God has said his power shows up best in my weakness. But when I don’t believe that, it shows I think power should come only from myself. If I want to turn around those feelings, then I need to start doubting my doubts. If I believe in God’s Word, I can trust what it says about God and the way he feels about me. I can trust that God keeps his promises, has perfect timing, is wise, forgives me, and works powerfully through me.

. Impatience is doubt in God’s timing.

. Resentful or bitterness is doubt in God’s wisdom.

. Guilty feelings are my unbelief in God’s forgiveness.

. Inadequacy is my doubt in God’s power.

Father, I see three of these four emotions crop up in my life. Impatience, resentfulness, and inadequacy. I pray that with the help of the Holy Spirit in my life that I can continue to trust in your timing and your plan for me, and that I turn to you for my sense of worth, especially as I wait to see what you’ll do with my job role in the future. I ask for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership and my interactions with others. Thank you also for the healing from my head cold. I pray these things in your Son Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Results of an “I-Centered” Life

In James 3:16 I read, “Wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.” (NLT)

When “I” am at the center of everything in my life, that’s sin.

I have an “I” problem: I want it my way; I will do my thing; I have to take care of myself first; I don’t have time for others; I am the most important thing.

At the root of sin is self-centeredness, and the middle letter of “pride” just also happens to be “I.” Where else does this apply? All “crime” is self-centered. A lot of social problems in the world today are caused by three groups with “I” at the center: racists, sexists, and chauvinists. All of these work off the philosophy that “I am better than you.”

What other I-centered sins happen when you start living a self-focused life? You start to “whine” and “criticize.” You turn “envious,” “deceitful,” “defiant,” and “merciless”—because you want grace for yourself but not for others.

What are the results of living a self-focused life? Guilt, fatigue, pessimism, hostility, and emptiness, all with “I” at the center.

What is the only antidote to an I-focused life? You have to change your focus.

You were made by God and for God. And you will only find peace and purpose when you focus your life on him. “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you” (Isaiah 26:3 NLT).

In summary, wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, I'll find disorder and evil of every kind. This happens to me when “I” is at the center of everything in my life. I have an “I” problem: I want it my way; I will do my thing; I have to take care of myself first; I don’t have time for others; I am the most important thing. At the root of sin is self-centeredness. Other I-centered sins happen when I start living a self-focused life. I start to “whine” and “criticize. I turn “envious,” “deceitful,” “defiant,” and “merciless”, all because I want grace for myself but not for others. The results of living a self-focused life are Guilt, fatigue, pessimism, hostility, and emptiness, all with “I” at the center. The only antidote to an I-focused life is to change my focus. I was made by God and for God. I will only find peace and purpose when I focus my life on him.

Father, I have to admit that a lot of my thoughts revolve around me. With the help of the Holy Spirit in my life, I would like to change a lot of the “I” thoughts to you Father. This morning I also ask again for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership and my interactions with others. Also I thank you for the healing I have received for my head cold. These things I pray in your Son Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Sin Grows from the Seeds of Selfishness

In Matthew 24:12 I read, “There will be more and more evil in the world, so most people will stop showing their love for each other.” (NCV)

Someone once asked Jesus, “What’s the most important command in Scripture?” He replied, “There are two of them: Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.”

If those are God’s two most important commands, then their opposite, not loving God and not loving your neighbor, is sin. Sin is always unloving.

Matthew 24:12 says, “There will be more and more evil in the world, so most people will stop showing their love for each other” (NCV). People in general have become more critical, less civil, and ruder than ever. Why? Because as sin increases, love decreases.

Sin is unhelpful, unhealthy, unfair, unwise, untruthful, and it is always selfish.

We often tell ourselves we’re doing something for the benefit of others when we’re really doing it for our own benefit. The Bible says, “Wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind” (James 3:16 NLT). At the root of every sin is self-centeredness.

Why am I here on earth? God did not make me live for myself. I was made for something far bigger than that.

I have been made by God and for God, and until I understand and believe that, life’s never going to make sense. God didn’t create me so that I could center my life on myself and push other people to the side. I was made to know God, enjoy him, have a friendship with him, serve him, and center my life on him.

Whatever I build my life around is my god, whether it’s your job, homelife or a sport or even another person.

God wants me to center my life on him, but sin will always put the focus back on me. Choose love. Where love is abundant, selfishness will not grow.

In summary, evil will increase and most will stop showing their love for each other. Jesus tells me that the most important command in Scripture is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. The opposite, is to not love God and not love your neighbor. This is sin and sin is always unloving. In general people have become more critical, less civil, and ruder than ever. As sin increases, love decreases. Sin is unhelpful, unhealthy, unfair, unwise, untruthful, and it is always selfish. Often we tell ourselves we’re doing something for the benefit of others when we’re really doing it for our own benefit. At the root of every sin is self-centeredness. God did not make me live for myself. I was made for something far bigger than that. I have been made by God and for God. God didn’t create me so that I could center my life on myself and push others aside. I was made to know God, enjoy him, have a friendship with him, serve him, and center my life on him. So whatever I end up building my life around will be my god. God wants me to center my life on him. Sin will always put the focus back on me. So choose love. Where love is abundant, selfishness will not grow.

Father, today I consider if I’m really serving you or if I’m putting something else ahead of you in my life. A lot of inner thoughts come back to what job role you have planned for me when my time in my current role comes to an end. I do seek to serve those I work with, but there are times when it seems I may not be able to help them. Father I do want to embrace and do what you put me here to do, so that I can fulfill your purpose. With the help of the Holy Spirit, help me to put my focus on loving you and loving others. I ask you for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership and my interactions with others. I also put my trust in you for my future work role. Also thank you for the healing I’m experiencing with my head cold. These things I pray in your Son Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Three Things to Focus on Instead of Myself

In Colossians 3:2 I read, “Let heaven fill your thoughts; don’t spend your time worrying about things down here.” (TLB)

True freedom comes when I focus my mind on God’s truth. But how do I focus my mind on the right things so I can experience freedom? Here are three things I can do that will make the biggest difference in managing your mind.

First, think about Jesus. Hebrews 12:3 says, “Think about Jesus’ example. He held on while wicked people were doing evil things to him. So do not get tired and stop trying” (NCV). Thinking about Jesus is what gives me the power to keep on going. I Keep my mind on who the Bible says he is and the example he’s given me for how to live a life that pleases God.

Second, think about others. “Let us think about each other and help each other to show love and do good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24 NCV). Most of the people around the world think about themselves first. So anybody who thinks more about others than they do about themselves is going to shine. When I choose to think about what others may need and how I can help, I’ll find it’s hard to let my problems get me down.

Third, think about eternity. The Bible says in Colossians 3:2, “Let heaven fill your thoughts; don’t spend your time worrying about things down here” (TLB). Whatever I’m worried about today is probably not going to matter in five years, much less in eternity. Everything is put into perspective when I think about my life in light of eternity.

Whatever situation I’m facing today, stop and think about what I’m thinking about. Then choose to focus on Jesus, others, and my home in eternity. It will take the focus off of me, which is how God intended for me to live. And it will transform my life!

In summary, let heaven fill my thoughts and don’t spend time worrying about things here on earth. True freedom comes when I focus my mind on God’s truth. So, here are three things I can do. First, think about Jesus. Thinking about Jesus is what gives me the power to keep on going. Keep my mind on who he is and the example he’s given me. Second, think about others. I tend to think about myself first. So thinking more about others than I do about myself is going to help me shine. When I choose to think about what others may need and how I can help, I’ll find it’s hard to let my problems get me down. Third, think about eternity. Whatever I’m worried about today is probably not going to matter in five years. Everything is put into perspective when I think about my life in light of eternity. Whatever situation I’m facing today, stop and consider what I’m thinking about. Choose to focus on Jesus, others, and my home in eternity. It will take the focus off of me, and will help transform my life.

Father, it is time for me to stop focusing on what will happen next with my job role. I need to just think about your Son Jesus and his example, then focus on others. Father I ask for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership and my interactions with others. I will trust you with your plans for my next job. I continue to ask for healing for both Jeanne and myself from our head colds. I thank you for the relief we are beginning to experience. These things I ask and pray in you Son Jesus’ name, amen.

10/23/20 - Daily Hope - (Home, Folsom)

Am I Telling Myself the Truth?

Romans 8:5 

“Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.” (NLT)

There are times when I feel hostage to my thoughts. I can’t get a thought out of my mind. Or I often find myself doing things I don’t want to do. I knowingly engage in self-defeating behavior. I know something is not good for me, but I do it anyway.

Romans 7:23 says, “I see a different law at work in my body—a law that fights against the law which my mind approves of. It makes me a prisoner to the law of sin which is at work in my body” (GNT).

Because of my sinful nature, I think of myself and my wants more than what God wants. It’s a battle in my mind, and I’m losing it. My old nature, who I was before Jesus changed my life, is not my friend. It is the source of all my self-defeating habits that tend to take me down.

In order to break those habits and have more control over the way I think, I need to hear and understand this truth: I don’t have to believe everything I think.

My mind lies to me all the time. Just because I think something is true doesn’t make it true. Just because I feel something is true doesn’t make it true. My mind and my emotions often lie to me. Part of spiritual growth, becoming more like Jesus, is learning to know the difference between thoughts that are true and those that are not.

One of the most important disciplines I can build in life is to challenge my own thoughts. Say to myself, “I know what I’m thinking, but is that really true?”

No matter how far I go in my spiritual walk, my old, sinful nature will keep trying to take control of my thoughts. I have to learn to question them, not just one time but throughout my day and the rest of my life!

When I start to think nobody likes me, ask if that’s really true. If I think it’s never going to get better, ask if it’s true. When I think my life is worthless, question what Satan is trying to convince me of. Then, remember what I know from God’s Word to be true.

“Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit” (Romans 8:5 NLT).

In summary, those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. I have to admit that there are times when I feel hostage to my thoughts. I find myself doing things I don’t want to do, engaging in self-defeating behavior. I know something is not good, but I do it anyway. Because of my sinful nature, I think of myself and my wants more than what God wants. My old nature is the source of all my self-defeating habits that tend to take me down. In order to have more control over the way I think, I need to hear and understand this truth: I don’t have to believe everything I think. Just because I think something is true doesn’t make it true. Just because I feel something is true doesn’t make it true. Part of spiritual growth is learning to know the difference between thoughts that are true and those that are not. My old, sinful nature will keep trying to take control of my thoughts. I have to learn to question them, not just one time but throughout my day and the rest of my life! I need to remember what I know from God’s Word to be true.

Father, I thank you for providing me a way to combat my thoughts by replacing them with what you have told me is true. I ask with the help of the Holy Spirit in my life to keep this in mind when my mind goes awry and off track. I ask you also for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership and my interactions with others. I also pray for healing for Jeanne and myself from our head colds. I trust you for my next job role, however, I would like to be encouraged by some news or promising prospects. These things I pray in you Son Jesus’ name, amen.