Have you been born again? The scripture below is truly convicting, especially to those of us who have been.
We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him Who is true. And we are in Him Who is true- even in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 1 John 5:18-20
I don’t know about you, but I still struggle with some sins. I wish that I didn’t…I try not to… I ask for help, but I’ll be honest and say that I still struggle with some things.
Impatience is a big one. Sometimes my temper gets the better of me. Pride, jealousy, the list could go on…
I so strongly desire to not feel this struggle, but I will be completely vulnerable with you and admit that I do.
In this time of life, I truly pray that God will renew my mind to a place where I no longer feel some things…like jealousy and resentment. I try to counteract impatience by taking a deep breath before proceeding if I feel it.
When I take an honest look at myself and others, I’d say that all the sins I listed above are a product of self-centeredness.
As I’ve spent a lot of time contemplating and praying over what exactly is the greatest plague in the body of Christ and the world in general…it’s self-centeredness. Selfishness. Egocentric behavior. Narcissism. However, you want to classify it…humanity is wrought with it.
It’s the human condition. The reason the apple was eaten. The catalyst for the flood. The shouts that demanded Jesus die on the cross.
We are selfish in nature.
But don’t feel as if there’s no hope…even Paul said in Romans…
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do- this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. Romans 7:15-20
Our battle is real. Our flesh is sinful, our spirit is saved…it takes time and focus to walk as a slave to Christ over a slave to sin. But it’s a battle worth fighting. We will never attain perfection, but we should always strive to be more like Jesus…more like our Heavenly Father. It is always worth it.
365 Days in the Presence 