Jul
29
Man Up and Take Ownership
Filed Under Daily Devotions
SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 57-59; Psalm 103; 2 Peter 3
But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken falsely, and your tongue mutters wicked things. No one calls for justice; no one pleads their case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments, they utter lies, they conceive trouble and give birth to evil. ~ Isaiah 59:2-4
OBSERVATION:
We are all sinners. It’s a fact. Our hands are stained with blood and our fingers are guilty. All of this sin has separated us from God. All this is fact and for many, it’s nothing new. However, instead of confessing our sins to God and asking for forgiveness, we make excuses for our sins, sometimes even rationalize they’re necessary. God wants us to have a close relationship with Him, but when we harbor and nurture our sin, that closeness is impossible.
APPLICATION:
I sometimes make excuses for my sins. “If only so-and-so wouldn’t irritate me, I wouldn’t act that way or thing that way.” But I need to own my own sins. One thing I’ve learned in my counseling classes and try to incorporate in my life is that we cannot control what others do, but we can control our reactions. We can only control our response and we choose how people affect us. It’s difficult to implement, but it’s helpful to know I do have control over things. Therefore, there is no excuse for my sins and I must not only confess, but also repent and fix my attitude and actions.
PRAYER:
Dear Father, for too long I have let outside factors choose my emotions and my actions. I have used them as excuses to rationalize my sins. Please forgive me and help me to turn away from this sin-stained way of life and grow closer to You.