12-29-2023

Good Morning All,

              Romans 7:15; “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”

    Why did you do that?  Have you ever asked that question of your son or daughter?  It can be a most exasperating question because the answer, oftentimes, is “I don’t know.”  What on earth would lead you to do something like that, what possible good could come from that?  “I don’t know, I guess I didn’t think.”  Sometimes, I am convinced that the blood supply doesn’t always go all the way to the top of most teenagers at one time or another.  I think that and then I wonder sometimes why I do the things I do.

    Have you ever done something that you later regretted doing?  I think if you live long enough, most of us have.  Maybe we walked in on the last part of a conversation and suddenly were offended and made sure everyone knew.  Later we find out that we totally misunderstood what the conversation was.  Maybe you told someone they could count on you, but you failed to deliver.  Or maybe it was a little more painful.  Perhaps you joined in the gossip with more intensity than you should have.  Maybe you didn’t defend the person or maybe you added a tidbit of “news.”  Maybe you started it.  Why do we do these things?  Usually, we feel horrible afterwards, especially if we think about it and reflect on it.  It can really cut you if you see that person and see the pain in their eyes.  We know it was wrong, we know it going in.  We know the right thing to do but, for whatever reason, we fail to do the right thing.

    The reason is sin.  We are sinful by nature, so sinning is the natural thing to do.  But we are redeemed children of God who has given us new life and new hope.  Yet that hope does not mean it will always be easy; in fact, it can be very hard.  We know what is right; God wants us to love one another just as he loved us.  We know this yet our sinful nature continually tries to pull us back into sin.  That is usually why we are so confused when we do some of these things.  It is not a conscious action; it is a regression into sin.  It sneaks up on us and soon we are bitten.

    This is why we need to be vigilant; to be “sober” as Peter tells us.  This is especially true when you find yourself in dangerous situations, places where you are predisposed to sin whether it is at the coffee gathering, a bar or nightclub somewhere, or sitting in front of your computer.  We know our weaknesses but so does the devil and our sinful nature.  So, we have to be very careful to about our actions.  We need to always be thinking about what we are doing.  It is when we don’t think that we fall into sin.  Why do we do what we don’t want to do?  Because we are sinful by nature, but thanks be to God that we are the forgiven children whom he loves and redeems daily!

Father, I know what is right but too often I fail and fall short of your will.  Strengthen me and give me the ability to live a life pleasing to you.  Help me to love my neighbor as I should.  Guide me by your Spirit to do the good that I would.  In the precious name of Jesus our risen Savior, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret