Sometimes I am so aware of the sin that lurks within me. Not necessarily the external obvious things that others see; but the day to day selfishness, self-centeredness, lack of trust, and overall discontent that can creep up. As I was listening to Pandora this morning, a Casting Crown song from years past came on. I heard a line that I have never paid close attention to-"Here I am Lord and I'm drowning, in Your sea of forgetfulness"- and I was reminded that He truly has cast our sin as far as the east is from the west. As much as I hear this truth, the knowledge that because of Christ, my sins are literally cast out and remembered no more, I must confess my mind struggles to trust this. It hit me today how distrusting and prideful it is for me-for us- to dwell on the sin God has purposefully left alone. After all, isn't that what Christ came and suffered for? How dare I focus on that which God Himself has disassociated from!? Scripture is clear that we are to trust God with ALL our sins; trust that He completely erased any and all misdemeanors, mistakes, felonies, filth, evil, etc. from our record. So who am I to spend much of my day- or any of my day for that matter- emeshed in my own personal checklist of sins? Did Christ die so I could stay overwhelmed in my own mess?! No. Quite the opposite actually. If I believe that Christ died so that we could be clean and righteous in His sight, and if this is the message I long for my life to preach, I must live that way day in, day out. I must not get caught up in the mess of me; instead, I must gratefully and humbly accept that He has saved me, even from myself. What gratitude and awe my heart feels as I fix my eyes on Him and this promise! Friends, let's choose to not get caught up in our own "stuff" today. Let's choose to focus on the One that took care of it all at the cross. He is faithful.
