--> What is a besetting sin? A besetting sin is anything that dethrones the legitimate ruler of our hearts. Basically, a besetting sin is an idol. If you are a believer, you have chosen to allow Jesus Christ to sit on the throne of your life. He is the only rightful ruler of any human heart, and any attitude or action that disturbs His presence there, at the center, is a sin. When that sin is allowed to remain, it becomes a habit, or a besetting sin. Besetting sins begin with an attitude . Sometimes a heart attitude, itself, is the sin, and other times the attitude leads to actions that are sinful. In any case, when the attitude becomes engrained in our spirits, it becomes a besetting sin. Ø Pride is the mother of all sins. Pride puts the self on the throne, and so is the ultimate expression of sin. It's the sin that was, and still is, Satan's downfall, and it's the one we have the most trouble with. Pride is probably t
My life seems to be a constant growth cycle. I go from an initial place of trusting in God, to an insurmountable problem, to worry and anxiety, to remembering His faithfulness in the past, to choosing to believe once again, to one small encouraging sign of His love—a sign that grows the faith even before I see the answer, to praise for Who He is and what He is going to do, and then, finally, to the miracle. Then we begin again, with a slightly more insurmountable problem. This faith walk is like following stepping stones across a raging river. I step out, jump onto the next three stones that are nearby, then look around for another foothold. I see none at first, then one that is close but requires a bit of a stretch, then another that is no bigger than the size of my foot. This one seems too far to hazard a leap but there is no other option. I cannot go back. So I leap, and then keep on going as far as I can, taking chances, and a
The beginning of a new year is a natural time for thinking about renewal. We say good-bye to an old, tired year and look with hope and expectation to a new one. A clean page. A fresh chance. A time to think about how to make our future better--more productive, more significant, more successful, more joy-filled. For Christians, thoughts of renewal usually revolve around God. We belong to Him forever, but we are vacillating human beings, and our relationship with Him can easily stagnate. We need times of refreshing. We need to come again to the fountain of living water. We need to long for Him so deeply that it drives us back into His presence. Thankfully, God prompts that longing. He never forces Himself back into our lives, but the restlessness we feel without Him invariably draws us. So what to do when we feel the restlessness? When we become aware that something's not right in our spirits? God is the One who must rescue us from the doldrums of spiritual lethargy, but there are st
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