Day 26 – Read Proverbs 26
I Thought I’d Be Farther Along By Now
“I thought I would be farther along by now.” This is a statement I continually hear as a pastor. In fact, I’ve made this statement myself. After walking with Jesus for so long, we tend to think that we should be farther along than we are.
The reality is, we are going to miss the mark sometimes. One day is a victory, the next is a loss. It feels sometimes like we're going backward, not forward. Why do we go back to our old habits and the sins that strip us of our joy? If our sin hurts us, our families, and our health, why are we so quick to go back to it?
Unhealthy Patterns of Sin Rob Our Joy
In our Proverb today, we're told that, “As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness.” Think of vomit as the sins or unhealthy patterns that rob us of our joy. When we return to our sins, we're forgetting who we are as Christians.
As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness. – Proverbs 26:11 NLT
As Christians, we're already free, righteous, and in good standing with God. If we have given our lives to Jesus, we are declared righteous and holy. Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us” (NLT). This verse sounds good in theory, but how can we practically not “repeat our foolishness?”
Being Open to Correction
We need to be teachable and open to correction. Remember, being corrected is not rejection. Proverbs is a book that provides superior wisdom. If we're going to walk in the way of understanding, we must stay open to being corrected by others. This means we need accountability and mentorship. A mentor is more experienced in their faith and can be honest with us. We need that. I need that.
Correcting Our View of Sin and God
We also need a correct view of sin to prevent us from repeating the same mistakes. When we sin, we are not only breaking God’s commands, we are breaking God's heart. This is important because a proper view of sin will help us defeat evil. However, we can overcome the temptation to sin by abiding in Jesus and spending time with Him.
When our energy and attention are toward spending time with Jesus, we won’t pay attention to sinful patterns. Be encouraged. You'll be amazed at what happens when you take the focus off yourself and turn it instead on abiding in Christ. John 15:5 says, "Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit" (NLT). Take time to abide in Christ today.
Dig Deeper
1. What is one area in your life you would like to see victory in?
2. How does spending time with Jesus help us defeat sin?
