Self-destruction

I couldn't understand why they didn't want to try harder to resist the temptation. In fact, I was angry about it. Did they not see what it was leading to? Did they not care about the long term consequences? The more I thought about it, the angrier I became.

Then it hit me. God must think the same thing when it comes to me and my sins. The question was, why don't I try harder? Why don't I see what each choice to give in brings with it? Why don't I care more about where this will leave me in the end?

More than that, why don't I see what this is doing to my Heavenly Father's heart? I was saddened as I watched that loved one give in, with, it seemed, very little remorse. Saddened to the point of anger. How much greater is my Father's grief each time I choose to be disobedient--each time I choose to lose my temper, each time I choose to oversleep, each time I choose to refuse drinking more water? I understood once more in those few moments, but a small measure of the heartache He must feel; I understood once more, to a degree, why He hates sin, and why He is so displeased when we refuse to let Him set us free.

It destroys, and by holding onto it, we are destroying ourselves. By destroying ourselves, we destroy others. Sin makes us evil, and thus we exert a detrimental influence on others when we cherish it, if only in part. Who wouldn't hate that? The very thought of it is detestable. We can't understand those who choose to be suicide bombers--we can't fathom why they choose to kill themselves, and consequently anyone who happens to be around them. We think they're insane.

But every time we choose to do wrong, we do the same thing. "But he that sinneth against Me," says the LORD, "wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate Me love death" (Proverbs 8:36). We have only to look in His Word to see that we wrong others, too, when we sin. 1 and 2 Kings speak of many kings who made others to sin by their conduct, and the Gospels tell us that it is our sins that crucified Christ, the Father's Son. (Acts 4:10; 1 Cor. 15:3).

Sin doesn't paint a pretty picture by any means, but may that picture point us to our only hope--that is, Christ. "O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in Me [is] thine help (Hosea 13:9). He longs to save us, and He is able. (Matt. 18:11; Hebrews 7:25).

I want to let Him save me, so I can stop walking this path of self-destruction. What about you?

Blessings,
Jean