The denial of sin is not grace: it is a lie.

I came across a beautiful commentary on obedience the other morning and just wanted to share. Click HERE to check it out for yourself.

Understandably you might be thinking, "Obedience? Blech." Trust me... I'VE BEEN THERE. In fact, lived there most of my life. What mattered most to me was being in control. Doing what I wanted with MY LIFE; I didn't want anyone telling me what to do or how to do it. Rules? Merely "guidelines" for those who wanted them. As far as I was concerned, rules were clearly meant to be manipulated - bent just enough to get your way without getting you into trouble. (I spoke a little of this before; click HERE to view the post.)

That meant a lot of dodging and weaving. When I did get into trouble, I downplayed it. Rationalized. Blamed. Denied. Anything and everything but own up to it. My life was a mess.

It took YEARS for me to finally understand that without rules, life held nothing but chaos and confusion. Picture a bunch of kids trying to play a game of hockey without one rule... how long do you think it would take before someone was hurt? Now picture the frustration and disorder - sounds like fun, doesn't it?

NOT.

Needless to say, I changed. Or rather, God changed me. In surrendering, I now recognize my tendency to veer into the ditch (i.e. sin). Instead of making excuses, I seek to own it. Take responsibility for my part. Lay it before God. Ask for forgiveness. Get back on track.

And life in this place? SO MUCH MORE FUN!