"You and I do not sin because we want to make life worse for ourselves. Rather, we sin because we believe it will make life better. We indulge in a negative behavior because we believe it will improve our situation. "
-Jeff VanVonderen "Tired of Trying to Measure Up"
No one goes into sin saying, "I'm going to do this because it will ruin my life and drive me farther from God." We believe sin is a shortcut that God is hiding from us that keeps us from getting at the good things in life. We all want good things. We all want those good things when we want them too. Sin is how we try to get them when we are tired of waiting on God. Satan is whispering in our ear and telling us that God is holding out, but he has the path for all the good stuff God won't give us.
I've never once heard a pastor address the issue of sin this way though. They only refer to it as the list of "bad" things we do and we should stop doing. I believe if it were presented this way many more people would understand why they have done what they did and be able to recognize sin a lot faster in the future.
We can make a very long list of what sin is, but until we get to the root of WHY we sin, things will not change. A person has to understand the motivation behind an action before they can stop and turn from the action - repentance.
As I continue to learn the why, I better understand how to walk toward Jesus on a more consistent basis.
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