Life is hard! I am sure you will agree with that. I don’t know about you, but I can use all the help I can get when it comes to living a pure life. I am so thankful that God has not left us all alone in our pursuit of a pure life. He has given us very real and practical tools to live that pure life that He calls us to. One of the tools He has given us is His Word. He also has given us Godly brothers and sisters in Christ who use God’s word to encourage and bless us. I have a daily devotional magazine that comes in the mail each month. This past week one of the devotions was on the power that God has given us over sin.
Through that time of Bible reading and prayer, God took me to four verses in His word that are crucial to living a victorious life. II Corinthians 10:5 tells us to “…take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ.” When you really think about it, sin always begins with a thought. The thought in and of itself is not necessarily sinful but it’s what you do with that thought that makes it sinful. In this verse, God is telling us to take captive all of our thoughts and make them obedient to Christ. If all our thoughts are obedient to Christ, there will be no sin.
The thought of living without sin in my life is pretty appealing…..but, how do I do that? Every thought? Seems impossible! But then God gave me this verse, “Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” Philippians 4:8. As I thought about that verse, I realized that God was giving us alternatives to the thoughts that come into our minds that could lead to sin. And as I thought further about that verse, I realized that all those things it talked about…..true, noble, right, pure, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy..…described our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. So now, when those thoughts that lead to sin come into my mind, I work hard at leaving those thoughts behind and focus my thoughts on Jesus.
And it is oh, so wonderful, to focus my thoughts on Jesus. But sometimes, especially when I am tired, I find myself slipping and not refocusing on Jesus. I grieve over my weakness but, of course, God has given me a verse for that also. He has reminded me that, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” II Corinthians 12:9-10. God turns my weaknesses into strength to give me the victory over my thoughts.
Lastly, He has shown me in I John 1:9, that when I fail, He is there to offer unconditional love and forgiveness when I admit my failure and ask for forgiveness. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9.
Oh, what a mighty God we serve. A God who gives us power over sin…..A God who directs us to pure thoughts…..A God who gives us strength in our weakness and…..a God who forgives us when we stumble.
Encouraging You In Christ!
All Praise, Honor and Glory to God!
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