I appreciate your coming back by to see what’s happening here. Happy New Year!

Today, I’m struck with walking my talk. I am not perfect. I am a sinner. Oftentimes, I find myself trying to rationalize my sin, trying to convince myself that it’s not really so bad.

It’s bad.

It’s always bad.

Sometimes, I don’t feel like loving others, much less my enemies. Sometimes, I don’t feel like forgiving someone dear to me, much less someone who “did me wrong”.

Many times, I wear my anger and bitterness like a winter coat, wrapping myself in its warmth and selfishly justifying my need for it. I thought I was mature enough to let these things roll off my back and move on, but at times, I let those feelings steal my joy. I let those feelings stop me from fulfilling the mission He gave me.

God is not impressed by my theatrics. He’s not swayed by my arguments. He calls sin what it is and I should, too.

So, I guess I’d better read The Word, pray and let Him sort out this mess.

2 Timothy 4:1-5
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

…to suit their own desires
…what their Itching ears want to hear

This verse has been playing in my head for a while, for several reasons. Almost daily, I come across someone who rationalizes their sin. As I said, oftentimes it’s the gal in the mirror!

Let’s be bold today, folks! If we’re gonna sin, let’s be honest that we’re just selfish and want to do it our way, not His way. He is a loving God, no doubt, but He won’t be mocked. Sin is always sin. Just because our culture accepts it and just because Jesus loves us anyway, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t break His heart and that we are still lost.

Matthew 7:21-23
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Ouch!
We need to be reading our Bibles to know what pleases Him and then do it. He asks that we love one another so that others will know that we are His disciples.

I am a sinner. I struggle with food, pride, selfishness and a smart aleck mouth. I do not struggle with being truly thankful or tithing – two pivotal personal choices that have transformed my walk with Him. Concerning my struggles, I can make excuses or I can make changes.

I think I’d rather make changes.

I hope you seek Him, but if you’d rather not, and you’re still reading this, I love you. Really. But even better than that, God loves you more than you can imagine, whether you love Him back or not.

Have a groovy Thursday, folks!