Last Sunday I talked about how, like the Apostle Paul, we often do the very thing that we don't want to do. Given the reaction of the people following the service and this week, I believe that I struck a chord. That's good news because we are broken people and obviously realize our struggles are real.
As I said last Sunday, there is good news but we need to stop working on the wrong thing. If we focus on trying to change our actions but leave it at that, the vicious cycle of repeating the same mistakes over and over will continue. To bring real change to our lives, to stop making the same mistakes again and again, we need to work on the right thing. What is that?
In order to change our actions, we must first change our minds. We delude ourselves when we don't come to terms with the fact that our bad actions are giving us some sort of payback. Ultimately, we know we shouldn't live this way but our mind tells us that, in some ways, we know better than God. God's Word tells us we must be honest in all of our dealings, yet if we just tell a "white lie";, well that's better for us... despite what God says.
To "change our minds" is to repent. It is to confess that we've gone our own way and ignored God's way. To change our minds is to say to God, "I trust you. I trust what your word says and I believe what You say is true." When we change our minds in this way, it changes our hearts. And when our hearts change, then our actions follow.
God wants us to live a life of purpose, meaning, significance and joy. He doesn't want us to continue to settle for the less when we could have the best! And the best thing I can tell you on this blog is that God is the God of second chances. So if you're caught in the vicious cycle of doing the wrong thing over and over (even when you know it's wrong), then focus on God's Word and let him give you the power to overcome.
As I said last Sunday, there is good news but we need to stop working on the wrong thing. If we focus on trying to change our actions but leave it at that, the vicious cycle of repeating the same mistakes over and over will continue. To bring real change to our lives, to stop making the same mistakes again and again, we need to work on the right thing. What is that?
In order to change our actions, we must first change our minds. We delude ourselves when we don't come to terms with the fact that our bad actions are giving us some sort of payback. Ultimately, we know we shouldn't live this way but our mind tells us that, in some ways, we know better than God. God's Word tells us we must be honest in all of our dealings, yet if we just tell a "white lie";, well that's better for us... despite what God says.
To "change our minds" is to repent. It is to confess that we've gone our own way and ignored God's way. To change our minds is to say to God, "I trust you. I trust what your word says and I believe what You say is true." When we change our minds in this way, it changes our hearts. And when our hearts change, then our actions follow.
God wants us to live a life of purpose, meaning, significance and joy. He doesn't want us to continue to settle for the less when we could have the best! And the best thing I can tell you on this blog is that God is the God of second chances. So if you're caught in the vicious cycle of doing the wrong thing over and over (even when you know it's wrong), then focus on God's Word and let him give you the power to overcome.
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