Just Own It

Scripture: "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13

Observation: Four or five things stick out to me: 1.) There should never be shame before men regarding sin. All sin is common to all men. 2.) God is faithful. No matter what feelings or emotions say in the moment, the truth is God's faithfulness never falters. 3.) We are never tempted beyond what we can bear. God will not allow it. 4.)God always provides a way out. 5.) Taking the way of escape and staying away from sin is not easy. We are expected to endure it.

Application: I can really get down on myself regarding my sin. Not just a little down, but way down. Shortly after the attack of temptation sets in and I give in; the voices start their painful accusations. "Look at what you did! You call yourself a Christian? Better hope no one ever finds out about this. You are…" On and on they go and eventually they have me hiding in shame and in guilt. But they are lies. I should never judge another man for sin nor should I allow myself to feel judged by others. We all have sinned and we are all capable of the same sins.

I would never openly accuse God of not being faithful for I fear only a fool would do that. But I certainly will do it in secret. Deep inside, in certain situations, I say or feel things that definitely question God's faithfulness. Recurring sins. Death of children. Multiple catastrophes to the same family. There are certain times when it just seems like God has failed to hold to His word. Circumstances be as they may, I should never fail to claim God's ability to fulfill His Word. The reality is that it is my perceptions of His truth that get warped. It is my perceptions that fail; not God.

If ever the academy creates an award for best actor in playing victim to sin, I will be in the final four every year. I can take deceptive statements and blend them with truth to create a masterful dissertation that will have even the staunchest of critics tearfully proclaiming my innocence. But the performance is empty. While I leave with the approval of other men who support my case, I leave broken inside. The wage of the sin still takes its toll on my soul. The pain it causes never subsides. My relationships with everyone around me suffer as I sink further into sin. I have to take ownership and call sin what it is. Confessing it and allowing God to forgive me is the only hope I have. The time for excuses has passed.

My ability to withstand sin is directly impacted by what I am looking to accomplish. God always provides away out, but if I am being honest; many times I am looking for an excuse to sin more than I am looking for a way out. Sin feels good. It meets an immediate longing with immediate gratification. If I do not determine within my mind, soul, and spirit that I don't want sin in my life I will constantly overlook the escape provided by God. That is the importance of owning my sinful acts. If I admit them as sin and allow God to teach me, He can provide the hindsight I need to see the points of escape He provided. The next time I head down the path, I will be better equipped to spot my escape. I just have to long for a way out more than I long for the fruit of the sin.

Taking God's way out is never easy. It requires endurance. Endurance is defined as: the ability or strength to continue or last, esp. despite fatigue, stress, or other adverse conditions. I want it to be easy. I expect to pray and it all just magically disappear. But that is my perception of God's word, not the reality. Paul points it here by reminding me that it is not endurance if it requires nothing of me. I have to set the proper expectations. It will not be easy and if that is my hope; disappointment will always be close by me.

Prayer: Thank You for the ability to laugh at myself. That is one of the more amazing qualities of Your Grace as it gives me the ability to rest in Your ability to forgive me. I have no guilt associated with anything I have confessed to You. For that I am grateful. The thing that troubles me is why I continue to struggle with just owning my sin before You. I know the results of both decisions, yet it is always so tempting to make the bad choice of hiding instead of just confessing to You what I did. I confess to You that in many areas, I still long for the wrong things. I trust that You are faithful to complete what you started in me and I know that You will bring these things under my feet. I look forward to the day when we can sit and laugh about those things together. I love my life. I love what You have done inside of me. Most of all, I love the fact that You love a work in progress.