Ever Get Tired of Confessing The Same Old Thing?

In my last blog, I said this:

If there is a sin in your life that you constantly ignore, that’s your real god.

We have to keep battling, even when we it seems like we are constantly under attack in our weak area.  Have you ever just felt like God was tired of hearing from you because every time you talk to Him you were confessing the same thing?  It does get old.

1 John tells us that “if we confess our sins, God is faithful and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

If that’s true, why is it SO HARD to keep away from some sins?

Acts 3:19 may give us some insight into why this keeps happening:

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,”

The first step in turning from recurring sin is to confess and repent, but we often forget the second part of that verse.  It says, TURN TO GOD!

The book of James also confirms that this is the pattern.  James 4:7-8 says:

“So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you.”

The first part is “Resist the Devil.”  Turn from your sin.  Repent.

The second part is to “Come close to God.”  If you simply confess and repent but don’t run as close as you can to God, Satan comes back to tempt you pretty quickly.

My 3 year old, Adam, likes to play “Bear”.  In the game, sometimes my teenager, Daniel, will pretend to be a bear and go after Adam.  Adam will sometimes try to wrestle Daniel by himself.  Adam always looses.  Daniel is 13 and Adam is no match for Daniel.

Other times, Adam will run and stand behind me as his protector.  So far, Daniel is no match for me.  (I know that day is coming because he is growing but I still have the “old dog” bluff on him.)

As long as Adam is hiding behind me, Daniel is held at bay.  Daniel will wait 3 feet away from me waiting for Adam to wander away from me, but he will not attack Adam while Adam is hiding close to me.  I am his protector from the bear.  Daniel the bear will be defeated if he attacks Adam while Adam is close to me.

That’s why it is important to immediately begin praising God, listening to praise music, reading and memorizing verses, and fellowshipping with God.  As long as you are standing in Christ, Satan is no threat.  When we wonder away, we our defenses grow weaker and we’re no match for the evil one.  Satan is waiting just 3 feet away for you to wonder off.  Stay close to the master and the bully will be at bay.

What helps you draw to God?