Guilty Exuses - Part 1
I think back from when I was just a child to where I am today and there's something that hasn't changed. Time after time I have set goals and targets and missed them, and I am left asking why? Is it that I didn't posses the necessary skills or know-how to achieve them? Is it that I didn't have the proper resources? I think in some cases it can be both of those, but in most cases it was my inability to stick with my commitments. Often times, when we don't achieve something we have set out to do, we feel guilty and give up instead of taking simple steps to get back on track.
In our walk with God the same thing tends to happen. We commit to spending time with Him but we miss a day here or there, and that day turns into days, days turn into months and months years. Then we start feeling guilty and thinking God is disappointed in us. And guilt causes distance between us and God. The guilt becomes our excuse for a continued lack of commitment and drives us further away from what is right.
So, where does our guilt come from? Guilt can't be blamed on God, it comes from inside you. The Bible says the source is in our own hearts. The cool thing is, it says in I John 3:19-20 that we can set our hearts at rest - without guilt and condemnation - whenever they try to condemn us because God is greater than our hearts and He knows everything. You can be confident in His unfailing love and know He is committed to pursuing you, and that He loves you no matter what you say or do.
He did not come into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him." (NIV) Knowing God is not a God who condemns will help you shake off any guilt and help you stay committed to pursuing Him.
TODAYS CHALLENGE
Make a commitment to develop your relationship every day with the Lord, even if you have been a Christian walking with Him for years. You don't train for the Olympics once at age 22 and expect that training to last you until your 65. The same is true spiritually. We need to be in constant communication with God through reading the Bible and praying. It's time to defeat guilt and never again let that keep you from coming to Him. If you haven't been diligent in this, then start today by walking closer to God instead of further away.
TODAYS PRAYER
Lord I come to you and ask you to forgive me if I haven't stayed committed to you. Forgive me for not being confident in your unfailing love. I am asking that you would give me a spirit of revelation and understanding as I make a commitment to pursuing you through your word and prayer. I will not let guilt or condemnation rule over me and become my excuse for not serving you. Thank you for loving me with such an amazing love and for being such a loving father. In Jesus name, amen.
