As a Pastor, I talk to many people who beat themselves up for how they are living. 
They are upset that they can’t seem to get it right. We try to fix ourselves, and when we can’t, we fall into guilt.

We want to become more patient with our families, more loving to our neighbor. We want to quit an addiction - porn, drugs, approval, food….   We try and fail. When we fail, we become discouraged, and the enemy begins to lie to us:

“You are a failure.”

          “You will never be free.”

          “You will always struggle with this addiction.”

          “You should give up.”

We become upset with ourselves. We blame ourselves. We wonder why no one else seems to struggle. Most often, this leads to us quitting and falling even further into our sin.

I wanted to quit smoking when I became a Christian. Every day I woke up determined to stop, quickly followed by failure as I bought a pack of cigarettes and puffed one down. I then proceeded to throw the entire box away. The next day, I found myself buying another pack of cigarettes, smoking one down, then throwing the package away. This pattern went on for a while.

Every time I failed to quit, I heard the voice of self-condemnation:

“You are a failure.”

If I had listened to that voice, I guarantee you I would still be smoking today. I refused to listen to that voice; I refused to walk in guilt.

Romans 8:1 states: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

We are free from guilt because of Jesus. When we mess up (which we all do), we need to say: “Lord forgive me, that’s not who I am, I am a new creation in Christ, by Your power, I will live from my new nature, thank you for forgiving me!”

We must not dwell on our mistakes or failures. If we do, we will walk in guilt, and miss out on our calling.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Because of Christ, we are a new creation. We overcome because He overcame.

Freedom from guilt does not mean we are free from all the consequences of past sins. To some degree, we reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7). But as long as we are beating ourselves up and living in guilt, we will never be free of our sin.

If you are struggling with guilt today, I challenge you to do two things, first, repeat: “I am a new creation in Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, I will overcome. God does not condemn me, and I will not condemn myself.”

 Secondly, feed the new nature (who you really are). Such as:

 Read the Word of God - It’s food for your soul.

           Listen to worship music and build up your spirit.

           Surround yourselves with godly people who will build you up.

As you do these things consistently, the pull of the old life with all its habits and vices will become weaker and weaker, and you will walk in TOTAL freedom.

“Pastor, I feel like God is not answering my prayers and I wonder why I should pray anymore," I have heard this phrase countless times as a Pastor.

It’s easy to become discouraged when we don’t receive the answer we want from God. God says no because He wants us to grow up. He wants to make us more like Him. He knows if He answered every prayer with a quick “yes” we would not become who He has called us to be. We would not fulfill our purpose here on earth.

When my children were young, they were the center of their own universe. They believed I was the source to meet all their needs and were horribly disappointed when I didn’t come through.

I, on the other hand, was far more interested in their overall growth and development than their current state. I wanted them happy and fulfilled, but many times said “no” to help them grow.

I knew what was best. I saw my children's future and the big picture, but they did not. If I met their every need and only addressed their temporal happiness, I would have been enabling them to stay in a selfish, immature state, and not grow up.

God sees the big picture. He knows the beginning from the end, and our lives are connected to that picture.

Sometimes, we are frustrated when our prayers seem unanswered. We become discouraged by the dark, painful and unpleasant events that we don’t understand.  

No is an answer to prayer, or not yet. If those are the answers, there's an excellent reason for it. We must rest in the fact that sometimes God puts our desires on hold. Ultimately, however, His timing is best.

If we could see the big picture, we would see how wonderfully God positions our lives through every circumstance, and how wisely he handles our prayer requests.

Many times the delay we see in answered prayers is because there is a considerable difference between our timing and God’s divine timing.

God is uniquely positioning your life as a vital piece of the big picture. He is weaving every detail of your life along with the lives of many others into his master plan. There are many aspects of overall timing for Him to work out as He fits everything perfectly together.

Refuse to become discouraged when life doesn't go the way you planned. God is working, He is building His character and nature in you and positioning your life for maximum effectiveness.

We live in an instant society and we want instant results. We can receive news as it breaks on our phone, tablets, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Technology and social media shape how we live and receive information. Sadly, we bring this to our relationship with God. We want instant breakthroughs, instant answers, and instant promises received. 

This is not how God works. He is a good father, and He knows there is value in the wait. 

As a young Christian, I knew God had called me to ministry. I had passion, talent, and ministry ability. I had a driving determination to build God’s kingdom with every ounce of strength and energy I had.

When it came time for a promotion, I was misunderstood and denied what I thought was God’s obvious next step for me. I was hurt. I knew God had called me to preach and teach, and yet I found myself working in the business world for 20 plus years. 

• I could have become offended.
• I could have given up. 
• I could have forced my way into a preaching position. 

Instead, I determined to be faithful where I was and embrace any life lesson God had for me. Looking back, I realize that God is always positioning, teaching, refining, and moving us forward in our purpose.

When we go through a transition or encounter difficult stretches in our journey we need to hang on, endure, wait patiently, and never give up. I know now that I did not have the character necessary to do what I am currently doing.

• I was always in a hurry
• I was impatient
• I was inexperienced

I didn’t have the perseverance to handle what God wanted me to do. Over time, God transformed me and gave me the ability to step into my calling.

 “Let perseverance finish its work so you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:4

What are you waiting on God for? Physical healing, a child to return to Christ, a breakthrough in your marriage, a financial breakthrough, a career change,  a ministry challenge that is frustrating you? Hang on! Stand on the promises of God. 

He will make a way where there is no way. Read Isaiah 43, meditate on it, and then ask God to make a way for you. Embrace your season. Learn everything you can. God is refining you. 

Buckle down, be faithful and go the distance!