Simple Thoughts

Go and sin no more...

The pastor at my church started a new series 3 weeks ago about healing and recovery from habits and hang-ups and sins that are holding us. I think it was 2 weeks ago, so, the first week of the series. Pastor Chip brought up the idea of realizing that God is God and that He is the one with the power. We have no power in ourselves to do good, turn from sin, live our lives as Christ did. We have a choice, but it is by the power in Christ that we can turn from temptation and walk on the path He sets before us.

This really got me to thinking about the times I got caught in what I like to call the "circular cycles" of my life. It starts out with me messing up in some way. Then, I begin to let my quiet times with God suffer. It continues to go down when my prayer life suffers and I get frustrated with myself when I have to bring something back to God that I should've taken care of long before. Things get better, but something is missing, because before I know it, I'm faced with the same temptation, mess up again, and find myself in a cycle of sin, disregard (to a point) of that sin, shame and guilt, repentance, a time of closeness with God, and when the temptation presents itself again, the cycle begins again.

It's happened a couple times in my life, and I can remember feeling so frustrated and not understanding why it kept happening. Truthfully, with repentance and grace and redemption, there is a personal choice to make a change. God does the restoring and changing of the heart, but we have that choice to do as Christ told the woman in John 8:11 (NRSV),

"neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again."

In Hebrews 12:1-2 (NASV), the author tells says,

"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us,
let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so
easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set
before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith,
who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising shame, and
has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

God asks us to make the decision to change. Not just repent, not just accept His gift of forgiveness and grace, but also make a change in our lives to strive after being more like Christ.
2 Timothy 2:19 (NASV), says,

"Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands having this seal,
'The Lord knows those who are His,' and, 'Everyone who names
the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness.'"

Throughout the sermon that Sunday a couple weeks ago, I kept thinking about this concept and how it has affected my life and the struggles I've had with certain sin in my life. I wrote the majority of the following during church (so maybe I should be paying more attention...I was still taking notes...):

For My Father's Sake
It seems sometimes I don't understand
The complex steps of the Master's plan
He sees me when I'm tired and fallen
But I tried so hard not to stray too far
I end up only looking out for number one
How does my life display the beauty of God's Son?
Am I really living in this state?
I deny, continue doing what I hate

And there You are, You're waiting for me
To shut my eyes, fold my hands, on bended knee
Give up control and lift up my heart
A life that was not mine from the start
Through all the storms, the winds and rain
You pick me up, dust me off and set me back towards You again

And I find myself in that same place
Taking back the things I laid at Your feet
I cry aloud, will I ever turn my heart away
From what destroys me, brings me to my knees in shame
I seem to always walk a circle, is there an end
To all the pain I feel because I keep to chose my sin?
How can I walk this path once more?
You gently speak, "This is what it's all been for."

And there You are, You're waiting for me
To shut my eyes, fold my hands, on bended knee
Give up control and lift up my heart
A life that was not mine from the start
Through all the storms, the winds and rain
You pick me up, dust me off and set me back towards You again

I reach the place in this walk You lead
When I realize that it's not in me
You know my hurt, my pain and my need
You let my heart break just so that I could see
Your love will cover everything I've ever done
Through the merciful sacrifice of Your Son
Every day is a choice I will have to make
To lead a righteous life for my Father's sake

posted by Katie @ 2:47 PM