I hope the challenge is going well for you! I hope you have been able to stay consistent so far! And even more so, I hope you have been enjoying your time with the Lord!

David Nasser speaks of the results of “colliding with God” on day 3 of the book.

Putting it simply, we become aware of our shortcomings but all the more grateful for His grace at the same time.

This is a paradox in the Christian life, as you pursue God and move forward in your sanctification (becoming like Jesus in your mind and actions), He changes your affections and increases your ability to do good. At the same time, we become increasingly aware of our shortcomings and see our sinful nature more clearly. 

We realize that compared to Jesus, we do not measure up to His goodness and glory.

God does not do this to lead us to this realization to discourage us and leave us wallowing in self-pity or hopelessness.

I hope the hard truths of yesterday did not lead you there.

No, this realization forces us to seek God even more! We can’t live well without Him! We can’t defeat sin on our own! We can’t save others alone! We can’t have true, unshakable joy and peace without eyes locked on our Savior!

So the only loving thing Jesus can do is peel our eyes away from ourselves by revealing who we are without Him.

Dr. Jordan Peterson once said, “The more you think about yourself, the more unhappy you will be.” I believe this is supported biblically. 

Self-absorption is synonymous with misery.

But, it is important to note, that simply thinking of others more than yourself is not enough. Even that has roots in self-absorption. You focus on others so they will like you or you derive value from their gratitude, and that will always come up short because people will always fail you at some point and tend to be ungrateful.

That is why looking to God is the only sufficient way to escape misery, and Jesus is the only way to eternal life (a term that encompasses the quantity and quality of life).

God is the only One who also provides true redemption, a complete transformation of our identity, and a grace that becomes sweeter than our shame.

Shame cannot exist in the presence of grace.

So what do we do when God gives us hard truths and when God reveals His greatness and our depravity?

Confess our shortcomings, profess God’s goodness to us, commit to being better, and ask for strength to do so.

It always feels like so much more can be said, but I have a challenge for you to wrap this day up.

I encourage you to sit today and think about who you were without God and what has been the results of following your way. 

(In my experience, I hurt a lot of people for the sake of my selfish desires and my self-absorption led me to a place of anxiety and depression).

I even encourage you to think of those sins that you have committed that have left a scar on your mind so that even to this day the memory arises and hurts.

Confess recent sins that you have not addressed.

But don’t stay there! 

Move your mind to how God has changed you (has He changed you?)

Think about Jesus’ death on the cross and what that accomplished for you!

Today, in Christ you are justified, you are forgiven, and you are a saint. Truly.

You are loved. You have been freed from the consequences of your sin.

You are in a place today in a direct relationship with the King of kings. 

For no reason at all outside of His own goodness, the Creator of all things set a plan in motion before the foundations of the world were even set in place, so that He could be sitting with you right now as you read these words and so that He could be glorified with your life (yes, your life), and so that you could have a place in eternity with Him.

Confession to God should always result in the joy of forgiveness because that was accomplished already through Jesus.