#refreshed

The Jetsons, 1962 -1963

The Two Ways

1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; 6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. — Psalm 1 | Revised Standard Version (RSV) Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved. Cross References: Joshua 1:8; Job 21:18; Proverbs 4:14-15; Proverbs 4:18-19; Jeremiah 17:5-8; Ezekiel 47:12; Matthew 3:12; Matthew 7:13-14; Matthew 13:49-50; Matthew 25:31-33; John 15:5; James 1:25; Revelation 20:12-15; Revelation 22:1-2

recently learned the hard way myself (very on brand for me):

It is worth looking for a common thread or theme among your most regular sins.

Do you find yourself struggling in the same way and confessing the same sins over and over? I think we all do.

1.) It takes a lot of courage to face your own sins in earnest and with clarity. So first of all, ask the Lord to help you keep your eyes and ears open for the Holy Spirit, bravely face the truth and humble yourself before the Lord, and take time to meditate to listen--with a sober mind and no distractions.

2.) Repent. Once more. We are all sinners, and we will repent for sins until the day we die if we are wise and God-fearing.

3.) Once these sins have been acknowledged and confessed and repented for, you must examine what they may stem from. This last step is what I am newly learning. Achieving as much awareness and understanding of your own sins as you can (which you must first be accountable for) is a necessary part of fighting against repeating them.

For example, I have recently pieced together that a large majority of my sins throughout my life so far have been rooted in a lack of self-respect. As a new mom, I know I must model the behavior and values that I want to teach my daughter; you can't just tell a child one thing and live another way. After a long and painful process of facing myself and my sins with sincerity, I now have the wisdom and strength, through the grace and mercy of God, to begin again, refreshed, and with self-respect. The LORD has given me the ability to finally understand and attain the self-respect necessary to make better choices, discontinue my previous path of sins, and be the best mama that I can be. Praise Christ Jesus! Hallelujah! ❤️‍🔥