Guarding Our Hearts Against Self-Sabotaging Behaviors
By Jennifer Slattery
Bible Reading:
They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods. The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs. - Judges 3:6-7
Sometimes I have little control over the things that make me most anxious or cause me pain and regret. But I’ve also created or intensified issues because I ignored the Lord’s gentle conviction, His leading, or didn’t take the time to seek His guidance. I might have shared, in previous devotions, how Christ empowered me to show grace to an angry and often explosive teenager we fostered. But I don’t believe I’ve yet shared all the times when I, the so-called adult in the room, reacted poorly to the youth’s trauma response or got sucked into an argument that brought immediate regret. Because I didn’t heed Christ’s warning or invitation, before the conflict, to tend to my soul.
Thankfully, the Lord always responds to my failings with grace. But that doesn’t negate the damage I caused from living with my spiritual eyes and ears closed.
Ancient Israel’s history reveals the same pattern.
The Lord had well prepared them for this season, long before the fallout hit. This occurred decades after He liberated His people from Egyptian oppression, faithfully led them through the wilderness, and into the land He’d long promised them. But shortly before they stepped into Canaan, God reminded them of all the ways He’d cared for them in the past and presented them with what seems like an easy choice. If they remained true to Him, things would go well. If they rebelled against Him, they’d experience hardship rather than the covenantal blessings laid out in Deuteronomy 28-30.
He invited them to choose life; instead, they chose death—by doing one of the very things He warned them against.
They united their souls, in marriage, with the wicked people groups that the Israelites failed, partially in fear and partially from greed, to drive from the land.
They chose death, likely believing they were choosing life. Relationships, connection, family—and likely, peace with the militant people groups surrounding them.
In the moment, their actions probably seemed inconsequential. Maybe they believed their faith was strong enough to withstand compromise. Or, perhaps they thought the men and women they married offered something the Lord could not or would not—security, belonging, acceptance, and peace.
Regardless, it’s safe to say, they didn’t realize or consider where their actions might lead and the intense pain they and their families, children included, would endure.
Though, their journey toward rebellion didn’t begin with their wedding. Our sinful behaviors rarely emerge in isolation. Most often, one compromise leads to another, then another, until we find ourselves frighteningly far from God, our source of godliness and self-control.
Notice the progression Scripture records. First, the people failed to obey God’s command to drive the people from the land. Then, they built their homes among them and slowly, but steadily, began to assimilate with their culture, until, eventually, they and the Canaanites became essentially indistinguishable. Although they called themselves God’s chosen people, they lived as His enemies. As verse 7 states, they “forgot” as in rejected, the Lord, and turned instead to a religion rooted in demonic deception.
Intersecting Life & Faith:
We humans haven’t changed much in the generations since. We’re still prone to wander from the Lord, and to downplay the seriousness of our choices. I suspect this stems from our inability to understand and trust Christ’s heart. It’s easy to question the benefits of obedience when we’re not convinced that He truly has our best interests in mind. In the spiritual void this creates, following our wisdom and desires seems not only reasonable, but like the best course of action.
The best anecdote for sin, then, is cultivating a deeper connection with the Lord and allowing Him to meet those needs we might otherwise try to satisfy in self-destructive ways.
He alone knows what most makes us feel alive, has the power to provide us with peace and joy, and the desire to do so.
He’s already chosen us, and daily, He invites us to choose Him in return.
And so, my question is, will we?
Further Reading:
John 15:4-5
Hebrews 2:1
James 1:14-15
Join the conversation! Share how today’s devotional encouraged or challenged you in your walk with Christ.
Photo Credit: iStock/Getty Images Plus/ThitareeSarmkasat
Jennifer Slattery is a writer and speaker who co-hosts the Faith Over Fear podcast and, along with a team of 6, the Your Daily Bible Verse podcast. She’s addressed women’s groups, Bible studies, and taught at writers conferences across the nation. She’s the author of Building a Family and numerous other titles and maintains a devotional blog at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLou
She’s passionate about helping people experience Christ’s freedom in all areas of their lives. Visit her online to learn more about her speaking or to book her for your next women’s event, and sign up for her free quarterly newsletter HERE and make sure to connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and GodTube.
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