As we drive forward, aspiring that our lives be more Christlike, we are bound to face obstacles and give in to temptations.
The closer we come to God, the more obedient we are, the more we seek His presence and strive to do His will, the more we see our own inadequacies.
At times when we were far from God — or at least, we felt far from God — it seemed that only the ‘big’ sins caused us to repent. (I know that all sin is the same in God’s eyes, but as humans we do tend to grade it according to how bad we think it must look to God and to others.)
Yet as we draw closer to God, we become aware of how certain issues which once seemed OK are now under the microscope. As we think we have conquered the “big” sins (or at least, they’re mostly under control), along come a whole bunch of “little” sins to take their place.
The more we seek to please God and to live the way He intended, the more issues we see in our lives.
When that “big” sin was prevalent in our lives, the “little” sins continued but didn’t seem to be an issue.
Now, every harsh word or thought or deed comes to bite us. At least, we see how far short of God’s standard we fall.
The solution? Repent, worship, move on!
When (not if) we sin, don’t wallow in guilt. Come to God, say sorry, pray that you’ll be stronger the next time temptation comes along, and worship Him.
Immerse yourself in his presence.
Ephesians 4 is a great chapter to read if you want a snapshot of all the things you should and shouldn’t be doing. Yet it’s not a set of rules for their own sake, but rather the best way of living for God and in harmony with others.
As verse 27 says, it’s important that we “do not give the devil a foothold”. There is nothing the enemy would like more than to derail believers, particularly those who are on fire for the kingdom and in positions of leadership and influence.
We all sin and fall short of God’s glory. His desire is that we keep short accounts with Him and continue to dwell in His presence.
When you’re knocked down, get up quickly!