March 6, 2018 – Luke 3
Produce fruit in keeping
with repentance. Luke 3:8
Our behavior
demonstrates our true beliefs---if Jesus is truly Lord, then we should live
like it.
You’ve been there.
All of us have.
Either being caught or realizing you had failed, you came clean
and apologized for the mistake, and said you’d never do it again. It was authentic, heart-felt, and
intentional. You were ready to make the
changes necessary, and avoid whatever caused the failure. You may have even put in guardrails in your
life to stay clear of the problem.
But then it happens again.
Either by mistake or by thinking the situation was different, you find
yourself repeating the failure. Then
doubts creep in, making you wonder if you can change. And justification shows its ugly head, trying
to convince you that this vice is not as bad as others you could have. Soon, the repetition picks up momentum and
you find yourself in a full-on battle to deal with this ugly sin that has
started happening in your life.
All from one little lie (that was my problem when I was
young … maybe you were thinking something else J).
Why do we get caught in the repetition trap? The answer is simple – though not always
obvious. We’re focusing on the sin, and
playing avoidance as we keep watching it.
Like a fly drawn to the light, our focus on trying to avoid the sin
actually sends us right into it. The
answer to correcting failure is to pursue the fruit of repentance. Instead of focusing on the sin, focus on
right fruit.
So in my case, instead of trying not exaggerate stories for
attention, I should have focused on the fruit of truth – like longer
friendships, appreciating honesty, saying less & listening more.
Maybe for the angry person, producing fruit means seeking
peace, asking more questions, appreciating challenges and trusting in people to
figure it out, instead of trying to manage their anger.
Maybe for the worrier, producing fruit is simply counting
daily blessings, keeping a journal of God’s provision, and focusing on today’s
challenges instead of thinking about tomorrow’s.
Whatever your sin challenge, the secret to lasting
repentance from John the Baptist was to focus on producing right fruit, instead
of avoiding the wrong kind. That’s a
great lesson for all of us. If we trust
Jesus and believe Him to be the Son of God, then trust His instructions and
live them out. If we struggle with a sin
area, then look to replace the temptation with effort for positive fruit.
You might just find yourself changed by repentance in the
long run. And find yourself closer to
God in the process.
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