By Ally B
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." ~John 10:10
I loved Ryan’s example of the sunburn last Tuesday and how each summer, even though he had gotten burned before, he wouldn’t use sunscreen and would get sunburned again…again…and again. What a simple, yet perfect, example of how we are in life. It’s similar to the definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
I remember chatting with JP about dating back in ‘09 and him sharing a verse that has stuck with me ever since. "As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly." ~Proverbs 26:11
How gross is it when dogs go back to their own vomit?! The sad thing is that’s what we do when we return to the things that have burned us. This is often a sin in our life that we keep doing, knowing that the outcome is probably not going to be good nor is it glorifying to the Lord. It could be the way we spend our money, how we talk about people, lying or exaggerating about things, the type of people we date or how we date, or any other area in our lives that we struggle with.
JP followed up that verse by saying, “So you’ve tried it your way, and how has that worked out for you? Why not try it God’s way?”
"Do you see a person wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for them." ~Proverbs 26:12
You see we get burned because we don’t remember what we should have done, shouldn’t have done, or the pain we felt. Then often the burn leaves a scar. Sometimes the scar is a reminder of the pain, and sometimes the scar is a reminder of God’s victory.
What area of your life do you keep getting burned?
Have you trusted Christ with this area of your life and tried it His way?
Are you learning from your pain and seeing God’s victory in your scars?
I remember getting to a point in my life where I was tired of getting burned again and again. I was tired of doing things my way only to never feel peace, hope, and joy. That’s when I fully surrendered…faith was all I had.
“Faith isn’t faith until it’s ALL you’re holding on to.”