Stop making these joy-robbing mistakes
Have you ever witnessed a dog eat something inedible, throw it up, then go right back to the source of its sickness for seconds?
Well, there are times in my life when that’s how I live. I make a wrong decision. Regret it. Repeat it.
As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.
—Proverbs 26:11
It’s a maddening cycle. It keeps us from the joy-filled relationship we should be experiencing with Christ.
But God brings hope and guidance. He provides wisdom. He’s a creator of comebacks. To stop returning to our bad decisions, we’ve got to stop making these mistakes.
Stop embracing an attitude of defeat.
The devil is great at lying. Each time we make a mistake, he tries his best to tell us we’re never going to recover. We’re defeated. We sinned for the umpteenth time, and nothing will change. We can’t get out of our rut.
Don’t believe his lies. Nothing can separate us from God’s love. If you know Christ and have accepted him as your savior, you’re assured victory. Christ sealed the deal when he died for our sins on the cross and then rose three days later.
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”
— 1 Corinthians 15:55
No athlete in the world can enter a contest entirely sure they’ll come out on top; Christians can. We can tell death Christ won the fight.
We can tell sin what’s up: “You can’t hold me down.” We may lose some battles here and there. But no matter what, through Christ, we’re victors. Don’t believe any less.
Quit addressing the symptoms. Focus on the source.
Imagine this scenario: I go into the doctor’s office, sneezing up a storm. The white-robed medical professional walks in.
“So, what seems to be the problem?”
“I think I have a … a … a … ACHOO!”
“Let me stop you right there, son. I think you have a case of the sneeze.”
No duh, doc.
Doctors don’t diagnose symptoms. They diagnose the source of those symptoms.
Symptoms are evident, so naturally, we treat them like the problem.
I talk too much. I can be rude, and I’m arrogant. I’m impatient. (These are just a few of my current symptoms).
I work on one, start noticing progress, and then I’m off to my next fault. Before long, that same symptom returns. The cycle continues.
Doctors often prescribe one remedy to heal the source of our pain. God, too, tells us the source of our problems and provides the cure.
For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander.
— Matthew 15:19
If we truly want change in our lives, we must let Christ heal our hearts. The heart is the source. I can’t stop talking too much by reading a self-help book; I can’t cure my arrogance by memorizing quotes about humility.
David wrote in Psalm 139:23–24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”
We must let God search us, test us, work on us, heal us, and guide us. Real change comes from within.
Stop waiting to change.
I’m a pro at procrastination. I say things like, “I’ll start working out … next Monday.” “I’ll text him back … eventually.”
Putting off anything is a bad habit, but when it comes to sin, it’s catastrophic. Unfortunately, we live in a world that encourages us to live life to the fullest—to save right living for another day.
I sometimes think I’ll make the changes I need to when I have kids. But I had a similar thought before I got married.
Before we know it, we’ll come to whatever big life event we used as our date to change our ways and find ourselves still stuck in our same ole messes.
Today’s the day. Don’t delay.
“No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,”Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
—John 8:11
When Jesus saved the woman caught in adultery from being stoned, he told her, “… Go now and leave your life of sin.”
He didn’t tell her to wait. He didn’t say you can come back to your mistakes later. Christ said to leave it.
He tells us the same.
