Lately we have been thinking about the sin in our lives. I’ve noticed that when we talk about the sins we commit a few times, people are quick to hit the unsubscribe button or turn the radio down.

People don’t like it when the wrong things they do are pointed out to them. But we must remember that we are all born in sin. We all have a flaw. Somewhere along the way, there is a good chance that we will all make a wrong choice or break the boundaries of life.

It comes with the package. It is part of our makeup. We have to make peace with this. However, this does not mean we must accept the wrong things in our lives, make room for them, and simply allow things to take their course and do nothing.

In a way, we are grabbed by the throat: ⁸Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. ⁹Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious.

Maybe you should read it again.

I suspect genuine repentance only emerges when we do some self-examination. Then we see where we live outside of God’s will. Then we see what we are doing and how it impacts other people.

Sin tends to break relationships. Sin affects your self-image, and before you know it, your self-worth is also gone, and you feel there’s nothing you can do to change yourself.

And that’s exactly where the devil wants us. However, that is not God’s idea for us.

Yes, we need to do self-examination. We have to take a look at what we are doing and the impact of our wrong actions. We must see where sin eats away like cancer in our life.

This picture should bring a tear or many to our eyes, because it is certainly not part of God’s plan. Actually, it also hurts God, and precisely this knowledge makes us feel even worse about our actions.

This tear must drive us to start doing something about the sin in our life. We must plan to get rid of these wrong habits so that they no longer damage our lives and the lives of the people around us.

Let’s pull out these sinful deeds and make room for true joy in our lives so that God can smile about each one of us.

Scripture
James 4:7-12

Reflection
Where is the sin in your life?
Are your tears flowing?
What should you do about it?

Prayer
Father, I am so ashamed of what I’ve done. Actually, I don’t even want to bring it to you. Help me stop this. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.