I have had several conversations this week with young men who are battling through different struggles in life and at certain points within each of those conversations the same topic came up which has struck a strong conviction within me. Whatever the struggle was for each individual they all got to a place in which they said something along the lines of "I am ________, I know it is a negative quality of who I am and I wish I could change it."
I too have been caught saying something similar about myself and this week, through God-centered conversation, I was provided some Biblical truth about God and His creation. When we read about God's creation story in Genesis we see that once He had finished each stage of creation He said that it was "good" and when he created man and woman it was "very good". We don't see any negatives, anything that needs changing up until Adam and Eve make a decision on their own to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. it was in that moment that sin entered the world and changed how humanity thinks until Jesus returns.(Please do not get hung up on theological traps here and question when or how sin entered creation for that is not the topic at hand) God's creation was perfect, then humanity stained it through the manipulation of satan and it is because of this choice that you and I go through seasons in life where we believe that we are messed up and can't be fixed.
Here's what I believe...
Each one of us are born into a world ravaged by sin and as a result it will have a profound effect on us as we age and mature, but when we are created in our mothers womb we are created by a perfect, good, God and he deems us to be "very good." If we are indeed "very good" then we do not possess any negative qualities as God's creation. However, we do possess the free will to make choices that are sinful and drag us further away from our created state of "very good."
What I believe God has been telling me this week is that there are no negative qualities about you or I as created beings because God has created us perfect, but because of sin we develop bad habits throughout the course of our lives. The perfection of God's creation cannot be changed but it can be clouded by sinful habits and thus lead us to believe that we have flaws that cannot be changed within us. Satan's ultimate goal is to have us believe lies that ultimate lead us to death, life without Christ. (John 10:10) If you believe that there is something negative about yourself today I want you to know that God did not intend that for you when you were created and you can change. Step out of that lie! You must also hear that the only way to overcome those bad habits is to surrender them to the one who paid the price for them; Jesus Christ. Bad habits that have been nurtured over your entire life, lying, cheating, manipulating, sexual perversion, you name it, are too strong to overcome simply through your own strength. It will take the transformative power of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice made on the cross to overcome your bad habits. Without Jesus your bad habits will continue to rule your life and make you believe you can't change. Without Jesus you may try to follow rules that are supposed to make you better but life isn't about following rules. Life is about living in truth about who you are and letting that truth compel you to life as it is intended by God. Don't live in the lie any longer. Whether you recognize it or not if you believe you can't change then you are blaming God for your imperfections and that is sin. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, so you might have life with joy and abundance (John 10:10).
I have plenty of bad habits that push me away from God on a daily basis and I am sure you do as well. Would you step into the story of Jesus, and the Good News of His love for all of us, today and ask him to forgive you of your sins and to help you to understand His love for you in a deeper way? That deepening understanding of His love for you will compel you to break you bad habits and freedom will reign in your life!
Praise the Lord for His unfailing love.
For His Kingdom.
I too have been caught saying something similar about myself and this week, through God-centered conversation, I was provided some Biblical truth about God and His creation. When we read about God's creation story in Genesis we see that once He had finished each stage of creation He said that it was "good" and when he created man and woman it was "very good". We don't see any negatives, anything that needs changing up until Adam and Eve make a decision on their own to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. it was in that moment that sin entered the world and changed how humanity thinks until Jesus returns.(Please do not get hung up on theological traps here and question when or how sin entered creation for that is not the topic at hand) God's creation was perfect, then humanity stained it through the manipulation of satan and it is because of this choice that you and I go through seasons in life where we believe that we are messed up and can't be fixed.
Here's what I believe...
Each one of us are born into a world ravaged by sin and as a result it will have a profound effect on us as we age and mature, but when we are created in our mothers womb we are created by a perfect, good, God and he deems us to be "very good." If we are indeed "very good" then we do not possess any negative qualities as God's creation. However, we do possess the free will to make choices that are sinful and drag us further away from our created state of "very good."
What I believe God has been telling me this week is that there are no negative qualities about you or I as created beings because God has created us perfect, but because of sin we develop bad habits throughout the course of our lives. The perfection of God's creation cannot be changed but it can be clouded by sinful habits and thus lead us to believe that we have flaws that cannot be changed within us. Satan's ultimate goal is to have us believe lies that ultimate lead us to death, life without Christ. (John 10:10) If you believe that there is something negative about yourself today I want you to know that God did not intend that for you when you were created and you can change. Step out of that lie! You must also hear that the only way to overcome those bad habits is to surrender them to the one who paid the price for them; Jesus Christ. Bad habits that have been nurtured over your entire life, lying, cheating, manipulating, sexual perversion, you name it, are too strong to overcome simply through your own strength. It will take the transformative power of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice made on the cross to overcome your bad habits. Without Jesus your bad habits will continue to rule your life and make you believe you can't change. Without Jesus you may try to follow rules that are supposed to make you better but life isn't about following rules. Life is about living in truth about who you are and letting that truth compel you to life as it is intended by God. Don't live in the lie any longer. Whether you recognize it or not if you believe you can't change then you are blaming God for your imperfections and that is sin. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, so you might have life with joy and abundance (John 10:10).
I have plenty of bad habits that push me away from God on a daily basis and I am sure you do as well. Would you step into the story of Jesus, and the Good News of His love for all of us, today and ask him to forgive you of your sins and to help you to understand His love for you in a deeper way? That deepening understanding of His love for you will compel you to break you bad habits and freedom will reign in your life!
Praise the Lord for His unfailing love.
For His Kingdom.
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