Thursday, October 17, 2013

Signature Sins

Day 4





Signature Sins
Dave Montgomery
Signature Sins are the ones that seem to plague us throughout our life.  We all have them.  We struggle with them repeatedly.  No matter how hard we try, they come back again. 
Worry was one that I struggled with for years.  Everyone experiences some anxiety in his or her life that is not what I am talking about here.  I am not talking about a little anxiety, I am talking about the kind of worry that consumes your life, when your stomach ties up in knots, worrying about things that were never going to happen, “if this happens what will I do” type of worry.
Signature Sin is part of who we have become, or rather who we were before we accepted Christ as our savior.  As part of our “Upward Training”, we need to discover what triggers our signature sin. 
There are root causes that cause them to be hard to overcome.  My root cause was the fear of failure.  I did not want to look like a failure so I would worry what was going to happen “if whatever I was worrying about happened.  It was never the same thing.  As I grew from childhood to being an adult, the focus of my worry changed but it was the same problem.   
 I accepted Christ as my Savoir when I was 13, but it was not until I was 32 that I decided to let Christ be not only my Savior but also the Lord of my life.
I did not surrender the worrying over to Him at that time, I continued with that same “Signature Sin”.  I was not able to overcome my worry until I decided to apply the command In Philippians 4:6-7. 
Philippians 4:6-7 says,” Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
As I read that passage one morning, I realized Philippians 4:6-7 was not a suggestion but a command.  If I was worrying all the time and if I was continually living with the fear of failure, it was a sign that I really did not trust God.  It was a lack of faith.
1 John 1:9 says,If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”.
That is what I did.  God is true to His word, He not only forgives us He has given us the Holy Spirit to help us live obedient lives.

My victory over my “Signature Sin” was not instant.  I learned that I needed to develop a closer relationship with the Lord.  It is a lifelong effort, and I would not trade it for anything in this world. 
Jerry Bridges, in his book “The Pursuit of Holiness”, gives us an example of our responsibility to walk in holiness; Farming is a joint venture between God and the farmer.  The farmer cannot do what God must do, and God will not do what the farmer should do.
We can say just as accurately that the pursuit of holiness is a joint venture between God and the Christian.  No one can attain any degree of holiness without God, working in his life, just as surely no one will attain it without effort on his own part.  God has made it possible to walk in holiness.  But He has given us the responsibility of doing the walking; He does not do that for us.”  
I learn something every day as I take the time to read His Word and meditate.  Try it; you will be surprised with what you will learn by taking a few minutes out of each day.  Develop a plan; set aside a time or several short breaks during each day, what ever works for you.  A farmer does not plant, cultivate and harvest his crop without a plan.  Without a plan, you will most likely fail in your pursuit of Holiness. 
What might be your signature sin?  What do you find to be a recurring and intense struggle for you to overcome? 
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How has this sin impacted your life? 
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What strategy do you have to overcome this signature sin?  What would it take?
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Prayer: Reflecting specifically on this devotional, write out a prayer to God. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



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