Forever Open: A Pilgrimage of the HeartSample

Breaking The Cycle

Even when we live a life of pilgrimage for God, our steps often lead us to places we never intended to go. We chase things that cannot satisfy, only to find ourselves trapped in a familiar cycle: sin, failure, shame,… repeat.

The apostle Paul described it perfectly: “I want to do what is good, but I do not. I do not want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway… Oh, what a miserable person I am!” His honesty gives language to our struggle. Even in our best moments, we feel divided—torn between the life we want and the habits we cannot seem to break.

But regardless of how worthy or unworthy you feel, the invitation to be fully transformed by God’s love is open to you. Jesus said, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” He is not waiting for you to clean yourself up. He calls you now, in this moment, to turn to him and come home.

When you offer yourself fully to God, he transforms you. Not by behavior modification or shame, but by slowly and steadily renewing your mind, heart, and attitude. This is the invitation: to be made new–to allow Jesus to break the cycle of sin and shame and live in the freedom you were created for.

Let this truth settle in: the cycle of sin and shame does not have to be the end of your story. You can be changed. You can be new.

Reflect:

1. What patterns in your life feel like they are keeping you stuck?

2. How does it change your perspective to know that Jesus came specifically for people who are struggling with sin?

3. What step can you take today to fully offer yourself to God?