Courageous Choices Part 4Sample

THE EFFECT OF SIN

Our culture tells us to “do whatever is best for you as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else.” The reality is that any of the things that are outside of God’s plan and standard (aka sin) does have consequences for us personally but also for those around us. We see this in clear view with the sin of Achan in Joshua 7. He disobeyed God’s command related to the things devoted to destruction. He saw some silver objects and thought it was best for him to take them and that it wouldn’t hurt anyone else. However, because of his sin, 36 men died in the battle against Ai. God clearly tells Joshua that Achan’s sin affected all of the Israelites and they needed to deal with the sin before they could see any more spiritual success. In our lives today, everything we do is connected to others, even if we don’t realize it. One example is how we use our money. If we are constantly in debt, we aren’t able to give to the church and God’s work around the world. The church and missionaries are left underfunded and not able to say “yes” to following where God is leading. This can feel a little overwhelming, but God has the power to forgive sin, help us deal with the consequences, and can restore broken things!

Ask Yourself:

-How have my past sins affected those around me?

Pause to Pray: Ask for forgiveness for those sins that have hurt others and for eyes to see how giving in to current temptations could hurt those around you.

Take a Next Step:

-If your sin has affected someone in your life, be courageous and take the bold step of asking for forgiveness.