How can our failures, our stumbles, our complete and utter disregard for what is right be a praise to God?
This can be accomplished because God knows we cannot be perfect. He knows we will struggle and he knows we will fail him. Try as we might we just continue to do wrong.
Sure it might be small things like a little white lie on our taxes. Or a bigger issue like cheating on a boyfriend or girlfriend. It could be a lie to a parent or the simple act of being given to much change and keeping it instead of giving it back.
It could also be less physical sins. Things like doubting His existence. Worrying about how some event will turn out. Being jealous of a coworkers promotion and then also hating that person because you think you deserve it more.
There are even those will sin right in our churches or on the most holy of days. We've all seen the "perfect family" roll in at the early service. All smiles and well pressed clothes. The kids on their best behavior and the husband and wife lovingly staying by each others sides. Then in the same breath we have the family where the kids are WILD! The parents are arguing and everyone is hoping they won't sit next to them. This in itself is a sin. Rather than extend our love and grace to all equally we pick and choose with whom we talk to, sit with, and get involved with.
I know this sin first hand and it's one I am in constant struggle with. The worst part is for the longest time I didn't see it as a sin at all. Instead I saw it as a way for me to protect myself. If I avoided those people, didn't sit near those people and didn't allow them into my life. Then I could not be "labeled" with any of the labels I had for them.
Labels like nerd, religious zealot, closed minded, fake, or just as a Christian for "the wrong reason". Basically I was not walking as Jesus walked. He walked with prostitutes, tax collectors, thieves, murders and many other social types who are FAR WORSE then the guy who sings "LOUD AND PROUD", albeit not very good. (love you man!!!!)
So how can this sin and all the other sins I mentioned before be Praise to His Glory? How can a husband who cheats on his wife for no obvious reason be Praise for His Glory?
Because God has compassion for all.
I know your first thought is "Great! but still that is God doing / having something for me. This isn't me praising God's glory with my sins and failures".
You are correct! No it is not but it's easy to make those sins and failures Praise, however it's not an easy thing to do either.
The easy part. Just ask God for forgiveness and actually WANT that forgiveness. This is easy because as long as we seek forgiveness from God he will grant it to us.
Now the hard part, but it's the part which makes that sin and failure into a praise. After you've asked for forgiveness from God, ask it from yourself. This is the harder part because we have a harder time forgiving ourselves and of letting go.
BUT once we do something AMAZING happens.
We strive to NOT do it again! Notice I said "strive". I didn't say stop, promise, avoid, or any other word which might mean that we will NEVER do it again.
Chances are we probably will do "it" again. If we strive to NOT do it again. If we strive to CHANGE. If we strive to AVOID the temptation or lie which led to our sin.
THEN we are bringing PRAISE TO HIS GLORY!
See God knows we won't be Christ but His hope is we will strive to be Christ Like. We do this not be NEVER sinning again but by striving NOT to sin again.
"But what happens if I sin again and again and again?"
If you can't stop and you've done the 3 things:
- Ask God for forgiveness
- Forgive yourself
- Strive to avoid the temptation or lie which led to the sin
Then you haven't really completed all 3. Typically people think it's #3 which they failed to do but in reality it's almost always #1 or #2.
Forgiveness is the hardest one way trip you will ever take.
So you have to really ask yourself. Did I really mean it when I asked for forgiveness from God and myself? Was I completely free of any doubt, any worry and most of all any guilt?
You see when you are free of these things then your heart and your mind are in the right position to fully receive forgiveness. Until this point God IS forgiving you, truly He is, but you ARE NOT ready to receive it and therefore you cannot fully embrace it.
When you are ready and free though, then your sins turn into praise because you now know and understand God's forgiveness and you can forgive others as well!
Over time guess what? That sin doesn't repeat itself and this in turn is a Praise To His Glory!
Forgiveness is all over the bible. Here are a few of my favorite passages on the topic:
Ephesians 4:32
"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."
Matthew 6:14-15
"14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins"
Matthew 18:21-35
"21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, 'Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?'
22 Jesus answered, 'I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. 23 'Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.
25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 'The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’
27 The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28 'But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29 'His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ 30 'But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.
31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 'Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’
34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 'This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.'"
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