In 2006 I bought a software called Notebook and began keeping a journal. I wrote regularly in 2006 and pretty much regularly in 2007. (This year's notebook, 2008, has all of seven entries, including the one I wrote today.)
And by the way, it was interesting to do a search to find how many times I mentioned being achy. Very interesting.
Also interesting to find how much my energy level and motivation have decreased over the last two years. I hope it's the fibromyalgia and not my age. There's hope for the fibromyalgia, but not much I can do about getting older!
Anyway, I ran across a little something I wrote on July 10 of 2006 that I'd like to share here:
I have been thinking hard about life, and God, and dreams, and surrender, and joy in work, and making your dreams come true. Wondering how it all fits together. There appears to be a strong human spirit in all of us that makes us more powerful than we know. And we have it whether we know God or not. So then, what do we need God for? I suppose for answering our sin question. No one can deal with sin.
But now I'm having crazy thoughts, like "what is sin exactly?" I know the traditional definitions, but I'm starting to get a slightly different picture of sin. There is an element of choice and defiance. But we are not just perpetrators of sin, we are victims of sin --Sin is something we need to be saved from.
I'm also wondering if sin encompasses all the wounds and imperfections and inadequacies we suffer from, as well as the purposeful wrong actions. That doesn't necessarily mean we are to be blamed for our imperfections. I think we are victims, so to speak, of a sinful world where we are no longer perfect, and Jesus came to rescue us from that. And in his great mercy he also brought forgiveness for our rebellion and defiance.
What do you think?
2 comments:
You sooooooo need to creat an account at www.revelife.com (a Christian blogging community) The community is wonderful and your postings and insight would be a great additon. Even if you don't choose to do so, you should absolutely check it out.
You did ask...
I used to always think that sin was the thing that separated me from God. After all, God is perfect and can't hang with me when I am sinful. That mindset leads to a very legalistic mindset and obedience out of fear or obligation. Then I learned (last year!) that while we were separated from God by sin, He made the provision for us in Christ so that we no longer are separated from Him, even when we continue to make those unwise choices after we are saved. Either we are or we are not covered by Jesus blood, and that includes ALL our sin, not just the ones we have already done. There is no more that God needs to do for us, Jesus already did it all on the cross.
With that perspective in mind, when I heard someone say that sin is NOT what separates us (as believers) from God, but sin is what we choose to do that causes chaos in our lives and keeps us from the abundant life He has for us, it made sense to me.
I also used to think that God made this list of things we shouldn't do so we would be obviously different from the world, or maybe to see how serious we were about following Him. Now I think that the "law" (which was fulfilled by Christ) is a guide for how to live in abundance. When we do those things we know are wrong, it keeps us from being attuned to the Holy Spirit and His leading. Without that leading, we often stray further away from God's love and protection.
I want to follow Christ out of a spirit of love and devotion, not fear and obligation. When I consider all He has done for me, and how much He loves me, it is so easy to trust Him to keep me from sin.
Blessings!
tm
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