Where's My Chair!

I am sitting in my living room right now, but it looks a little different. Usually, this time of night, you would find me in my very favoritest arm chair. However, yesterday, we tossed our living room furniture into the dumpster. (Long story: but we are getting ready to move and trying to minimize what will come with us.)

Anyway, the point is, there is no longer a big comfy chair in my living room. But at least 5 times today, I have walked around the corner fulling prepared to sit down in my chair. And I have been surprised every time to find that it isn't there! As I laughed at over this predicament, it reminded me of a lesson I have been learning lately about repentance.

I have a few pet sins. Sins that don't surprise me when they show up. Sins that feels more like a personality flaw then an offense against a holy God. Sins that I am so used to confessing, I can do it in 10 words or less. Do you know what I mean? Sometimes we are so comfortable with these sins we even make them personal. "My anxiety", "my anger", "my quick tongue", etc.... And for me, some of these sin patterns have become as comfortable to me as my big red arm chair. I just expect it to be there, and I have grown rather used to it being a part of my life. But God has challenged my thoughts toward those "pet sins", and I am so very thankful for that!

It is no secret that Romans 8 is one of my favorite chapters in God's Word. And Romans 8:13 is the verse that has been on my mind lately. It says, "For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live."

See "my anger" that shows up every time there are 2000 +1 legos on my living room floor after I said to clean up; or "my anger" that causes me to discipline out of frustration instead of disciple with love; or "my anger" that dictates my response to my husband when he doesn't put that appointment on the calendar; or "my anger" that calls the slow driver in front of me names because they are such an inconvenience, that's sin. And it's ugly. It's the old man, or the flesh, calling me back and holding me hostage. And even though I'm pretty comfortable with it, doesn't mean it is anything less than that.

But choosing to live by the Spirit rather than to live according to the flesh has been allowing me to truly live freely! Today, when my youngest screamed so loudly at his sister in the front yard, that our ENTIRE neighborhood probably thought there was a kidnapping, God's Spirit gave me life. And rather than run to that comfortable spot to find "my anger", I turned the corner to find peace and joy and love. And I was able to disciple my son toward Righteousness because I was repenting of that sinful anger. And I'm finding more and more moments like this as I truly repent.

I must say that turning to the Spirit in those moments instead of turning to sin in those moments has been just as surprising as finding my chair missing. But this is a good surprise! And I hope to keep being surprised! I want to repent from my sin not grow comfortable in it.

Here are a few ways I have been practicing Biblical repentance.

1. Calling sin what it is. (No cute names; no personalization; just sin.)

2. Finding Scripture and having it near by. (Memorize it; write it down; say it out loud.)

3. Confessing in prayer on my knees instead of on the go.

4. Planning to not sin. (Actually deciding what I am going to choose to do next time instead of running back to that sin.)

5. Confessing the sin to the people I have sinned around or against.

6. Listening to the prompting of the Spirit.

7. Praising Him when I live according to the Spirit instead of returning to the deeds of the flesh.

   
   

Share below where your favorite cozy spot is and a deed of the flesh you are praying for victory over this week!