Broken Self-Talk
Self-Incrimination – Part 2

Scripture Reading: Matthew 26:69-75

Key Verse: Matthew 26:75

Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

I ended yesterday’s devotional with the statement: “God doesn’t want self-loathing after a failure.”  This begs the question: What does God want after we fail Him?  First, He looks for true repentance which means we are not simply sorry we got caught.  True repentance is a sincere belief that God’s way is right and our way was wrong.  True repentance turns from our way and goes God’s way.

The second step, in my opinion, is to develop a strategy to make sure we don’t commit that sinful behavior again.  Remember, Jesus’ words to the woman caught in adultery were not only forgiveness but a firm warning: Go and sin no more!  Most repeating sinful behaviors come from a lack of accountability on our part.  Our tendency is to isolate the areas of our life that are weak, hiding them from people around us.  If we are going to win the battle over these strongholds in our lives, we must find a safe accountability partner.  We all need to feel accountable to someone.  This will help us in the storms of temptation.

If your sinful behavior has developed into an addiction, I suggest you seek out a Christ centered recovery program.  Our church uses Celebrate Recovery.  It meets every Monday evening and provides a safe place for anyone ready to break the chains of addiction.

Father, I praise you for not only your forgiving grace but also your power to live in victory over sinful behavior.  In Jesus’ name, amen.