Topic: Your Biggest Problem, and What to Do About It [RICK WARREN Devotional 10 March 2021]

Your Biggest Problem, and What to Do About It

BY RICK WARREN — MARCH 10, 2021

“It is your evil that has separated you from your God. Your sins cause him to turn away from you, so he does not hear you.”

Isaiah 59:2 (NCV)Today, most cultures don’t think sin is ugly. In fact, many people think sin is fun!

Think about media. TV shows, social media memes, and movies use sin for humor.

This is Satan’s strategy: to get you to laugh at the same things that put Jesus on the cross. Satan disguises sin to make it look attractive, desirable, and fun. Rarely in media do you see the consequences of sin.

If you want to know how ugly sin really is and the damage it does, look at Jesus bleeding on the cross. Jesus’ suffering shows you just how much it takes to pay for your sins. The cross shows the damage sin does.

Sin has all sorts of consequences in your life! Here are just three of them.

Sin alienates you from God. Why? Because God is holy, and you are not. Sin creates conflict and puts distance between you and God. Isaiah 59:2 says, “It is your evil that has separated you from your God. Your sins cause him to turn away from you, so he does not hear you” (NCV). Sin always leaves estrangement in its wake, even between you and God.

Sin causes enormous amounts of stress in your life. One of the greatest sources of stress is unrecognized and unresolved guilt. King David said, “My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear” (Psalm 38:4 NIV).

Holding on to sin takes an emotional toll. When you break God’s laws, it leads to worry, fear, guilt, and insecurity. You wouldn’t experience this if you always did things God’s way. But you don’t, and you can’t. This is the reality of sin.

Sin condemns you. When you violate God’s laws, there’s always a penalty—in both self-condemnation and judgment from a righteous God. Psalm 7:11 says, “God is a righteous judge and always condemns the wicked” (GNT).

You may think your biggest problem is a relationship conflict, health issue, or trouble finding a job. But the reality is, your biggest problem is that you’re at war with God.

That’s why you’re so frustrated! That’s why you don’t sleep well. That’s why you’re stressed out. You weren’t made to live out of harmony with your Creator, who loves you. He made you, and he sent his Son to die for you. He wants you to be in harmony with him.

When you find yourself laughing at sin, what are the lies you’re telling yourself?
How do you make light of sin through the TV shows, movies, books, and social media you consume?
In what ways does understanding the severity of sin affect how you view and understand God’s grace?

If you haven’t trusted in Jesus and committed to following him, why wait any longer?

Your sins separate you from God. And it is only God’s grace that can get you back into right relationship with him.

The Bible says, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).

If you’re ready to make peace with your Creator, then pray this prayer:

“Dear Jesus, I don’t want my sin to separate me from you any longer. You have promised that if I believe in you, everything I’ve ever done wrong will be forgiven, I will learn the purpose of my life, and you will accept me into your eternal home in heaven one day.

“I confess my sin, and I believe you are my Savior. You have promised that if I confess my sin and trust you, I will be saved. I trust you when you say salvation comes by grace, through faith, and not by anything I do. I receive you into my life as my Lord. Today, I’m turning over every part of my life to your management.

“I want to live the way you created me to live and use the rest of my life to serve you instead of serving myself. I commit my life to you and ask you to save me and accept me into your family. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”