Why do we make up excuses and blame shift the responsibility on someone else? It may be because we don't want to get in trouble. Or maybe it's because it really wasn't our fault. Regardless, I think the main reason is because of PRIDE. We don't want people to think badly of us, or we think that we would be too responsible to make that mistake. We think ourselves to be better then we should.
So if the problem is pride, what is the solution? The solution is being humble and confessing our transgressions. One way to be humble, is having a right view of God; so that we have a right view of Man and with it our total depravity and need for Him.
Proverbs 28:13 says, "He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion."
Hebrews 12:1-2 says, "Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entraps us (let's say the sin it's talking about is pride), and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Christ, the author and perfecter of faith." We'll stop there. This passage tells us the way to run this race in life is to fix our eyes on Christ. I encourage you, today, to fix your eyes on Christ, and lay aside every encumbrance.
-Kole
Excuses and Blame-shifting
Idolatry Today?
Hey, this is Luke!
On Sunday, my dad talked about Christians and contentment. He spoke about how pride goes hand-in-hand with covetousness, which is also idolatry. Wednesday, Chris spoke about I Samuel 8, and how the nation of Israel demanded a king. They wanted to be like the other nations. They were wrong not only in the desire to be like the surrounding nations, but they also committed the sin of covetousness and idolatry. They wanted to replace God, their true King, with a man-king.
The main thing that comes to mind when I think of idolatry is “bowing before a statue.” As you already know, idolatry can take many forms—any time you put something before God, replacing God, as He should be first in your life, is also idolatry. Idolatry is nearly the same thing as covetousness, also—desiring something other than God, in an inappropriate way (desiring something more than you desire God).
With this definition, I am sure all of us, especially myself, can be found guilty of the sin of idolatry, just like the nation of Israel. We all can find ourselves desiring something more than we desire God.
But God has given us a very simple solution.
Count your blessings.
When you recognize the gifts God has given you, especially His salvation if you are a believer, you will be completely satisfied in Him. By definition, when you are satisfied, you will desire nothing else—God will be first in your life, and you will cease to covet and cease to commit idolatry. So, that’s my challenge to you this week—count your blessings, and have self-control over your sinful, covetous flesh.
In Christ,
Luke Godfrey
