Sunday’s message was filled with practical and convicting truths for me as I sat with my notes after the service. One point stood out to me specifically: Take positive, proactive action.
We were encouraged by Pastor Jason to refrain from evil, but not to stop there. He also encouraged us to do good by producing fruit.
Early on in my faith journey, and even into recent years, I felt like I was just so focused on stopping the sinful behavior. It was all about stopping the “bad thing” so I didn’t disappoint God. But in truth, putting all that focus on the sin was actually harming me in the long run.
Since I only focused on the sin, when I did have moments of failing or tripping up, it led to intense shame and even a disconnect from God...Think hiding in the garden with fig leaves (Genesis 3).
At one point, God asked me to shift my focus. Yes, He wanted me out of this trap of sin, but He also wanted me out of the cycle of shame and confusion that the enemy had me in. He came in to give me full deliverance…not partial.
So what was I missing? I missed the important act of replacing the sinful action with planting seeds that would bear fruit. There was such a strong emphasis on stopping the sin, that fruit became an after-thought.
But God is always moving us in the direction of sanctification, of growing to be more like Christ…and that means fruit! It means fruit that we can see and fruit that others can see.
It’s not helpful to just stop something, but it needs to be replaced with something else.
One of the things I struggle with is anxiety on planes. I am pretty terrified of heights, so being thousands of feet in the air does not do well with my anxious brain!
God started asking me to replace the anxious thoughts with a tangible way to worship Him. I found that painting was this way. So I bring a small set of watercolor paints and a book with psalms and flowers…and I paint!
Painting eases the anxious part of my brain and actually helps me to trust that God is holding this plane safely in His hands (which I knew He was doing all along). I had to take the anxiety and put action to it…not just sit there and wish the anxiety away.
I know this is a small example, and you are probably dealing with much bigger fish to fry…but I hope that this gives you a glimpse into what God can do with obedience and faithfulness. He is good! He can turn things around! But we must take a step toward Him and demonstrate faith in action.
What is one thing you can do today to not just turn from the sin, but to move in obedience? To replace it with something that brings God glory? Ask God to give you some ideas on how to do this, ask Him to start cultivating some fruit in your life. He is willing and He is able, dear friend.
We were encouraged by Pastor Jason to refrain from evil, but not to stop there. He also encouraged us to do good by producing fruit.
Early on in my faith journey, and even into recent years, I felt like I was just so focused on stopping the sinful behavior. It was all about stopping the “bad thing” so I didn’t disappoint God. But in truth, putting all that focus on the sin was actually harming me in the long run.
Since I only focused on the sin, when I did have moments of failing or tripping up, it led to intense shame and even a disconnect from God...Think hiding in the garden with fig leaves (Genesis 3).
At one point, God asked me to shift my focus. Yes, He wanted me out of this trap of sin, but He also wanted me out of the cycle of shame and confusion that the enemy had me in. He came in to give me full deliverance…not partial.
So what was I missing? I missed the important act of replacing the sinful action with planting seeds that would bear fruit. There was such a strong emphasis on stopping the sin, that fruit became an after-thought.
But God is always moving us in the direction of sanctification, of growing to be more like Christ…and that means fruit! It means fruit that we can see and fruit that others can see.
It’s not helpful to just stop something, but it needs to be replaced with something else.
One of the things I struggle with is anxiety on planes. I am pretty terrified of heights, so being thousands of feet in the air does not do well with my anxious brain!
God started asking me to replace the anxious thoughts with a tangible way to worship Him. I found that painting was this way. So I bring a small set of watercolor paints and a book with psalms and flowers…and I paint!
Painting eases the anxious part of my brain and actually helps me to trust that God is holding this plane safely in His hands (which I knew He was doing all along). I had to take the anxiety and put action to it…not just sit there and wish the anxiety away.
I know this is a small example, and you are probably dealing with much bigger fish to fry…but I hope that this gives you a glimpse into what God can do with obedience and faithfulness. He is good! He can turn things around! But we must take a step toward Him and demonstrate faith in action.
What is one thing you can do today to not just turn from the sin, but to move in obedience? To replace it with something that brings God glory? Ask God to give you some ideas on how to do this, ask Him to start cultivating some fruit in your life. He is willing and He is able, dear friend.
Erika Pizzo
Erika is an author of various books on the topics of faith, mental health, and victory in Christ. Erika lives with her husband, daughter, son, and their fluffy poodle in sunny Southern California. Her two favorite things are a visit to the beach and a chai latte in hand.