I’m Not That Bad! Part 1

I’ve noticed as I have aged and grown spiritually, the Lord is quicker to get my attention to sin in my life. My toes stay sore most of the time as He steps on them in conviction. Repentance is a daily ongoing activity! 

The more I learn about Christ and understand the depth of His holiness, the more I am aware of how far I am from it. I desire it but continue to miss the mark. 

What triggers awareness of sin in your life? What do you do to stop at the trigger before allowing the temptation to become sin? 

If we do not know the Word, our awareness of our sin and His holiness stays very shallow. We compare our lives to evil people who murder or steal and think we are doing pretty good. But scripture tells us something else, never to condemn but to lead us to repentance, grace, and salvation.

We study God’s Word to understand His ways and seek to live as He reveals to us. It teaches us how to do nothing to dishonor the name of Christ. Truly, “Your decrees are my delight and my counselors (Psalm 119:24).”

Several passages in Psalms give us guidance as to how to handle sin and avoid it. All of Psalm 119 focuses on God’s truths and includes this prayer in verse 133:

The entire 19th chapter of Psalms is a picture of one seeking to know God and live a holy life. Verses 9-14 give us a beautiful way to pray for cleansing:

The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the LORD are reliable and altogether righteous. They are more desirable than gold — than an abundance of pure gold; and sweeter than honey, which comes from the honeycomb. In addition, Your servant is warned by them; there is great reward in keeping them. Who perceives his unintentional sins? Cleanse me from my hidden faults. Moreover, keep Your servant from willful sins; do not let them rule over me. Then I will be innocent and cleansed from blatant rebellion. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You, LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.

I challenge you to read Psalm 19 as you begin your time with Jesus daily. It’s a beautiful way to worship Him and prepare your heart to take in His truth! (More on this next week.)