“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8 NIV).
Sin always involves self-deception. At the moment you’re sinning, you’re deceiving yourself because you think that what you’re doing will actually produce better results than what God has already told you to do.
To stop defeating yourself, you must stop deceiving yourself. You’ve need to take an honest look at your life, face the truth, and deal with the issues. What in your life are you pretending isn’t a problem or you’re not addicted to? What are you saying “It’s no a big deal” about?
It really doesn’t matter whether you’re shooting heroin or running up your MasterCard, whether you’re reading pornography or a trashy novel—you’re using it all to try to escape your pain and sin. But you’re not going to get healing until you first acknowledge the root of your problem.
You don’t have to hit rock bottom before you really change. You don’t have to go the way of destruction. You can admit the root of the issue and then deal with it.
When asked, “What’s the biggest problem you encounter?” church counselors will say over and over, “People wait too long before they ask for help. Then it’s almost impossible to turn around.” Most people are in denial about the problem, wait until it’s too late, and then go through unnecessary pain.
When asked, “What’s the biggest problem you encounter?” church counselors will say over and over, “People wait too long before they ask for help. Then it’s almost impossible to turn around.” Most people are in denial about the problem, wait until it’s too late, and then go through unnecessary pain.
The Bible says, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8 NIV).
What are the hard questions you need to be asking about the sin in your life? What are the warning signs you’ve been ignoring?
If you want healing, you need to acknowledge the root of your problem and face the truth about yourself. This is never the easy choice, but it’s always the right one.
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
Your Gift Brings Hope to the World
God has dreams for your life!
In Pastor Rick’s book "Created to Dream: The 6 Phases God Uses to Grow Your Faith," you’ll learn how to discover God’s custom-made dream for your life—a dream that is bigger and better than anything you could ever dream up on your own! And you’ll find practical help for navigating challenges, delays, and detours that stand in your way.
We’d love to send you a copy as our way of saying thank you for your generous gift below to help take the hope of Jesus to more people through Daily Hope.
Request yours when you give today—and thank you for your partnership!
*All gifts will be doubled up to the full amount of the grant. Thank you for your generous support! *The USA IRS code permits you to deduct the amount of your financial gift to Daily Hope that exceeds the fair market value of materials you received from Daily Hope.
