Lately I have noticed a pattern in my life...and that pattern is that when patterns of sinfulness begin to take a foothold in my life, I start acting more selfish it my thought processes. I guess this makes sense because sin in itself is selfishness. So, naturally selfishness breeds even more selfishness.
How does this play out practically in my life? Well, when I begin to allow myself to slip into patterns of sinfulness I often become very self-centered...this is seen in a lack of care for others...I don't really care about what's going on with other people...but I only care about myself. My all consuming thought is what can I get out of every interaction I have. This sounds like a harsh assessment of myself...but it is in fact a reality.
This truth reminds me of the fact that my sin doesn't just affect me...it affects my loved ones as well.
On the other side of this...when I am finding my joy in God...and not in my sinful pursuits...when there's a pattern of obedience in my life rather than a pattern of repeated sins...I find myself having a much more selfless way of thinking. I care a lot more about others...and I desire to help them and encourage them. Now of course I am never sinless...there are always sinful thoughts and actions that slip up in my life...that's the nature of being a fallen man...but when there's a pattern of pursuing God more than my sin...that's when a selfless attitude begins to be revealed in my life.
I'm sure I'm not the only Christian who notices this pattern in their life. But for me it reveals to me another reason why I want to pursue joy in my God rather than in my sin...because I know when I'm doing that...I can better serve and minister to my church...and love my loved ones...namely, my fiancee. :)
How does this play out practically in my life? Well, when I begin to allow myself to slip into patterns of sinfulness I often become very self-centered...this is seen in a lack of care for others...I don't really care about what's going on with other people...but I only care about myself. My all consuming thought is what can I get out of every interaction I have. This sounds like a harsh assessment of myself...but it is in fact a reality.
This truth reminds me of the fact that my sin doesn't just affect me...it affects my loved ones as well.
On the other side of this...when I am finding my joy in God...and not in my sinful pursuits...when there's a pattern of obedience in my life rather than a pattern of repeated sins...I find myself having a much more selfless way of thinking. I care a lot more about others...and I desire to help them and encourage them. Now of course I am never sinless...there are always sinful thoughts and actions that slip up in my life...that's the nature of being a fallen man...but when there's a pattern of pursuing God more than my sin...that's when a selfless attitude begins to be revealed in my life.
I'm sure I'm not the only Christian who notices this pattern in their life. But for me it reveals to me another reason why I want to pursue joy in my God rather than in my sin...because I know when I'm doing that...I can better serve and minister to my church...and love my loved ones...namely, my fiancee. :)
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