When I was growing up, I used to believe that sin was just bad decisions that I’ve made throughout my life. I had never even considered that sin is more than just the conscious decisions that I make. The truth is that sin is intertwined into our family patterns, our relationships, our thoughts, and things that have been done to us. I thought I had to fix myself, be more tolerable, and find a way to manage my perception so that people would like me. The sin exhausted and overwhelmed me from every direction it could possibly come from… But God.
When Jesus captured my heart, He showed me that the Gospel is not a program to avoid bad decisions or the ultimate use of willpower to try and manage your behaviors. The Gospel is freedom. It’s allowing Jesus to be Lord of your life, to give Him permission to come and redeem everything. He truly will satisfy your every need, He will strengthen you, and He will refresh the driest of deserts in your life. And you see, this beautiful Gospel is not just for our eternal salvation but also for our everyday lives. God rescues us into an eternity with Him, but He also draws us to Himself daily. Just like our relationship with God, a gardener knows everything his garden needs to flourish. He gives us everything we need, all the time, for every occasion. This truth set me free and changed my life.
If you are weary and burdened from trying to hold yourself up and manage your sin, fall into His arms today. I believe when we whole-heartedly trust in the Father, we will be like those well-watered gardens that never run dry. May we rest in His goodness, and be transformed by it.