The recent shooting in Colorado reminds us of the brevity of life; also, it is a tragic display of the depravity of the human soul. Humans are so peculiar in that, when tragedy strikes, we look for the cause yet never do we find ourselves returning to the root of the problem— our own sinful and depraved nature. It amazes me that in our efforts to be blameless before men, we are even willing to blame the tragic occurrences of life on inanimate objects, such as a gun, a car, etc.
Shifting blame and pointing fingers has been around since man first sinned in the garden. Remember Adam? He blamed Eve for his inability to be obedient to God (Gen. 3:12). What cannot be missed is the truth that Adam, regardless of Eve’s actions, had to answer to God for his own. The same is true for you and I. We may be able to avoid condemnation while we walk this earth, but one day we will be held accountable before God. Matthew 12:36 reminds us that “…every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.”
As Believers, we should endeavor to live our lives with authenticity first before God. Only by giving Him the preeminence of our lives can we keep our relationships, to Christ, to man, and to sin in perspective. Only in authentic living do we find the humility to recognize, confess, and grow beyond pride and sin.
We cannot recognize the freedom and strength that is ours in Christ until we have realized the weakness of our own flesh. The Apostle Paul shared a tremendous truth with the church at Galatia that still serves us well today “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (Gal. 6:7-8).
What sin is there in our lives that we need to be honest about today?
