Messes

We all have messes in our life. There is usually some kind of mess in our life. Sometimes messes are small and just feel like a slight annoyance. Other times, they’re so huge they strip the hope right out of our life. But here’s a thought to ponder right in the midst of your mess…

Am I letting this mess define me or refine me?

The answer to this question is crucial.

If I am letting a mess define me, I will feel hopeless.

If I am letting a mess refine me, I will be hopeful.

1. I was made for more than to be stuck in a vicious cycle of defeat.

Deuteronomy 2:3, “You have circled this mountain long enough. Now turn north.”

2. When I am considering a compromise, I will think past this moment and ask myself, how will I feel about this choice tomorrow morning?

1 Corinthians 6:19, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”

3. When tempted, I either remove the temptation or remove myself from the situation.

1 Corinthians 10:13-14, “…God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. Therefore, my dear friends, flee…”

4. I don’t have to worry about letting God down because I was never holding Him up — God’s grace is sufficient.

2 Corinthians 12:9-11, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness…for when I am weak, then I am strong.’”

5. I have these boundaries in place not for restriction but rather to define the parameters of my freedom.

Romans 6:19-20, “I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.”