Turn to face God so he can wipe away your sins, pour out showers of blessing to refresh you, and send you the Messiah he prepared for you, namely, Jesus. Acts 3:19–20 (MSG)
Many people think that God created a list of don’ts in the Bible to make us miserable, but it’s quite the opposite. God wants to protect us.
When we knowingly go against His warnings and principles, we sin, and this behaviour causes us to distance ourselves from God. It can destroy relationships, finances and the generations to follow.
Sin also robs us of joy. We’ve been on a series discussing a list of seven things that can steal our joy, and sin is one of the sneakiest joy thieves. You see, sin can sometimes seem fun at first to those who don’t know better, but it always ends badly.
First, understand that the consequences of sin have nothing to do with your relationship with God. God doesn’t turn from you when you misbehave. You may turn from Him because you feel guilty, but He never abandons you. Faith in Jesus is what makes you right with God, so your behaviour can’t remove that right standing with Him.
However, sin has an extremely destructive ripple effect in your life. It impacts the people around you and it destroys your ability to experience the joy and peace God has for you.
Make the decision today that you will not let ANYTHING get between you and this joy-filled life God has for you. If you’ve been making poor choices, lift your eyes to God. Let His love, acceptance and forgiveness set you free. His power is in you to change and become strong against whatever is tempting you so you can live free in His joy!