You Are More Than The Bad Choices You Have Made

“By faith Moses, when he had grown up,refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,”
Hebrews 11:24-25

The phrase that gets my attention is "passing pleasures of sin". There is something we find enjoyable about committing sin, otherwise we wouldn't do it. I mean, I'm not using my common sense if I keep doing something that isn't enjoyable. 
So sin does bring pleasure to us. 

But the word before pleasure is passing. It is a passing pleasure. We find pleasure in certain sins but it is a passing pleasure. 

 But the part I want to mention is the part that we don't listen to when we are tempted. Not only is it just a passing pleasure but, after we do it eventually there is a price to pay, there are consequences. Guilt, regret, are just a few of the consequences we experience. Not to mention that sometimes our lives are even changed. 

I don't know if I haven't met one person who isn't living with regrets or some type of guilt. And this is where I want to try to bring some encouragement. Eventually the enemy of our souls will come to us and tell us that all we are is the sum of all our bad choices we have made in life. If we are not rooted in God's Word or God's love for us we will believe it. We may do other activities to try and drown out that voice but it will still be there. And the strange thing is, the activities we do to try to forget about our guilt and regrets usually lead to more guilt and shame. 

But, God's Word says we are more than the bad choices we have made in life. 
God's Word says in spite of the bad choices we have made, God still loves us. 
The Bible is full of people who made bad choices. Peter, Paul, Matthew, Moses, just to name a few. The difference was they went to God or I should say God came to them and initiated the restoration process. And now when we think of them we don't think of all their wrong choices in life, we think of the right choices they made. The same can be true for you.

So here is what I propose:
1. Get into God's Word and start learning about His great love for you.
2. You've made some bad choices in life. We all have. Go to Jesus and ask for forgiveness. I have found that God is more eager to forgive us than we are to be forgiven.
3. Develop a relationship with Jesus. The Bible says there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Begin to live for Him.
4. Ask Him to help you to live for Him. 
5. Remember, you are more than the bad choices you have made in life.


 Here was a tweet I came by the other day.
"No person, no situation, no tragedy, and no sin can separate you from God’s ruthless love."
 @jamesbryansmith

You see, the One who never made a bad choice took all of our wrong choices upon Himself on the cross. He bore the punishment of all our bad and wrong choices so that we wouldn't have to. Jesus is the reason we aren't just the sum of all the bad choices we have made in life. 

Troy