Weekly Reflection

"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?"

How do you view sin? More importantly, do you understand how God views sin?

I will be honest, there was a time when I professed to be a Christian and a disciple of Jesus Christ, yet I was still drowning in sin. Much of it was hidden. It did not always show on the outside, but it lived within me: unforgiveness, impatience, people-pleasing, and the lies that followed, sins only I knew about. My friend, the list could go on.

I wish I could say that I have arrived and now recognize every sin in my life. But if that were true, I would not need a Savior. Only God knows all things, and I am not Him.

What I have learned along my journey is this: God does not take sin lightly, and when we sincerely ask Him, He lovingly reveals what must change.

“Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.”

When was the last time you truly meditated?

Have you ever considered what biblical meditation really means according to Scripture?

Over the years, I have read articles, attended conferences, sat in classrooms, and practiced various forms of meditation. In my profession, I often encourage patients to meditate as a healthy way to recenter their minds, bodies, and souls. Yet a few years ago, while participating in a meditation class, I realized something important. When I chose a Scripture, a promise of God, as my focus, intrusive thoughts lost their power, and it became easier to remain still and centered before the Lord.

Why do I share this? Recently, a friend asked me to look up the Hebrew meaning of the word meditate. I obeyed, because I do not believe in coincidence—God is always working. That obedience led me to a deeper Bible study that I believe every Christian should understand.

Meditation is a powerful tool. So powerful, in fact, that if we are not careful, we can unknowingly practice forms of meditation that connect our spirit to other gods instead of Jehovah God. Have you ever noticed that when you are told to “empty your mind,” your thoughts race, distractions flood in, and eventually you feel defeated? That struggle is not accidental.

Biblical meditation is not about emptying the mind. Before going further, consider Paul’s instruction:

“In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors.”

2 Chronicles 33:12
“In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors.”

Why do we sometimes have to hit rock bottom before we learn the lessons of life?

Reading the story of King Manasseh in 2 Chronicles 33:10–17 causes me to reflect on my own life. How often does God warn us about our disobedience, yet we continue on with our lives, ignoring His warnings, until we finally hit rock bottom?

King Manasseh was only twelve years old when he became king, and he did not obey the law of God. Scripture tells us that he did many detestable things in the eyes of the Lord. He built altars to other gods inside the temple of the Lord. He worshiped false gods, sacrificed his children in the fire, practiced divination and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. Scripture states repeatedly that he did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, provoking the Lord’s anger.

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

What Does It Mean to Learn from Jesus?

Mary gives us a powerful picture of what it truly means to learn from Jesus. While Martha was distracted by serving, Mary did three very intentional things:

• She sat at Jesus’ feet.
• She listened to His words.
• She chose relationship over responsibility.

Jesus then said something very important:

“Mary has chosen what is better.”

This does not mean that Mary chose something good while Martha chose something bad. What Jesus revealed is that learning from Him is the better path. And this is the one thing Satan will fight hardest to keep you from doing.

“The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.”

When you read, hear, or listen to Scripture, what is it to you?

Is it another inspiring story?
A good moral code for life?
Or a growing desire to honestly know who Jesus is?

Jesus, who became the Word of God, is telling us that His words create life, heal the heart, expose lies, and transform the mind. If you call yourself a Christian or a disciple of Jesus Christ, you must hear His voice daily, sit in His presence, consume His Word as your lifeline, and obey the Word of God by putting it into practice.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 reminds us that if we want to live a transformed life as disciples of Jesus Christ, full of life through the Holy Spirit, we must believe this truth:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Have you ever taken the time to sit and meditate on this verse?

I will never forget the day Jesus stirred my soul at the age of sixteen and made me still enough to truly reflect on what it means to believe in Him.

By that age, Jesus had already rescued me. I was baptized, raised as a new creation, and I was fired up, saved, and Holy Spirit–filled. The Lord had already performed miracles in my life beyond earthly explanation. Yet one day, the Holy Spirit led me to ask, There has to be more than just being a grateful sinner.

I was involved in the church. I knew the Scriptures. I understood the power of the cross through Jesus Christ, and I knew I was called to share with the world what the Lord had done for me. But through prayer and seeking revelation from the Lord, the Spirit helped me realize it was time to surrender my past, present, and future to God’s will.