In the beginning God…

These aren’t just the words that begin the Holy Bible, but they’re THE BEGINNING of everything!  God’s creativity put on full display in the creation of…it all! His full measure of power and majesty for the purpose of His creation bringing Him glory.  It’s humbling and strips me of any power and authority I think I have.  I wish those words could have rang in the ears of Adam and Eve when they were tempted by the serpent in the garden, but they weren’t resounding loud enough to drown out the first lie.  Lies have been a part of this creation ever since, and they’re just as damaging today as that first one.

Unfortunately, we’re still falling for the same old lie.  We are tempted, and we fall.  We see something we want, and we chase it. We hear that little voice telling us how incredible this thing, this relationship, this job, this opportunity will be, and we fall head first like an MMA fighter after a kick to the temple.

Why would I choose a lie over REAL life? Understand life carries several meanings that we’ll address later, but the idea is simple.  Why choose something that is guaranteed to leave me empty and searching for more over the ONLY thing that can satisfy and bring true joy?  It makes no sense, but billions of people every day chase the lie.  The culprit has changed tactics over the years, and his current version one of the smallest things you own…your cellphone.  It is constantly giving us ways to compare ourselves, “like” everyone’s posts and have them “like” us, take selfies so we can control what “us” the world sees, and many more ways it sells us the lie!

How do we combat this issue? Come back to find out.

WG

I know so many people who struggle with guilt.  You know, that overwhelming feeling of having done, said, or thought something wrong.  Sometimes the guilty feelings are warranted. I have done, said, or thought something wrong, so therefore, I should feel “guilty”.  The problem most of us have isn’t admitting we are wrong, but it’s dealing with the wrong, then moving on from it.

From a purely biblical standpoint, God never intended us to carry around guilt!  The Holy Spirit will convict us of sin with the purpose of moving us to repentance and change, but guilt is a human emotion that hinders us from ever experiencing the true forgiveness offered by our God.

Our series on guilt over Christmas break hopefully helped us see guilt for what it is, a trick used by satan to keep us from experiencing everything God has for us.

• Where did guilt start? Genesis 3:7-13
• What does the Bible say about forgiveness and the guilt that often follows our seeking forgiveness: 1 John 1:9, Romans 8:1, Psalm 103:11-12, Philippians 3:12-13

How do I defeat guilt in my life?

1. Understand my Position in Christ
2. Live in God’s Power through Christ

Are you ready to live without the weight of your past mistakes? Good, because the Creator of the Universe is ready for you to live that way too!