Fully Devoted: The Fallनमूना

A Dysfunctional Relationship With Ourselves Because of our rebellion against God, we’ve been infected by the disease of sin. And this disease distorts the way we see the world—it blinds us to the image of God in ourselves and the people around us. 1\. We forget who we are. Instead of seeing ourselves as creatures made in the image of God—with value, dignity, and purpose—we see ourselves as insignificant rejects. We easily believe the lie that our value comes from being smarter, prettier, richer, or better than others. We fall prey to comparison and criticism. Instead of being able to simply enjoy and appreciate others, we see their success as an attack on our identity. The result is  a sense of  shame and inadequacy that we can’t seem to shake. Have you ever struggled with comparison? Have you ever defined yourself by what you’ve done wrong instead of who God says you are? 2\. We forget who others are. Throughout history, there have been countless people in positions of influence using their power to oppress others. This is why sin is so destructive—it leads us to push God out of the center of the world and put ourselves in His place. And now that we’re in the center, we start to see ourselves as the only real authority worth answering to. Does someone disagree with us or not like us? Does someone offend us? We react, retaliate, and take revenge. We view ourselves as the ones in charge, and if someone’s a problem, they should be punished. Have you ever found yourself thinking that? Sin distorts our view of ourselves, harming not only us, but also our relationship with others and with God. Sin is a failure to be fully human. The word sin is an archery term that means to miss the mark . If we’re not careful, we can put so much focus on missing that we forget there’s a mark we’re supposed to hit. There’s a target our lives are meant to move toward. There’s a purpose we’re created to fulfill. To sin is to fail to achieve the purpose we’ve been created for. To sin is to fail in being truly human and accurately reflecting the goodness of God to creation. Sin is a disease that degrades every part of who we are. But God, in His infinite wisdom and His unending mercy—while we were still sinners—sent Jesus to die for us so that we could be forgiven of our sins and live in the purposes we were made for. Sin works to degrade us and dehumanize others, but God’s grace invites us to remember who we are, and remember who we’re created to be. Sin creates shame, but Jesus offers grace. Journaling Questions * What verse seemed significant from today’s reading? Write it in your journal. * In what ways have you struggled with comparison or a false sense of where your worth comes from? * Have you ever tried to use power or influence in a way that ended up hurting someone? Describe that experience. What would you do differently now? Memory Verse > For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 NIV