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Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey–whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? -Romans 6:16 (NIV)

The reason why many are still troubled, still seeking, still making little forward progress is because they haven’t yet come to the end of themselves. We’re still trying to give orders, and interfering with God’s work within us. -A.W. Tozer

Have you ever found yourself running in circles, seeming to hit the same obstacle over and over again?

I know I have. And it’s often because there’s some habit…some part of me, of self, that I haven’t surrendered.

And though we sin, then confess and repent, and are forgiven for our sin, we sometimes get in our own way to where God wants us to go from there. He wants us to move forward and upward to Him, while we decide, in weakness, to take that detour one more time.

Maybe it’s not resisting throwing out that one last jab in a “discussion.” Maybe it’s just one more drink…one more time. Maybe it’s choosing to worry instead of choosing faith in God’s good plans. Maybe it’s passing hasty judgment in our own wisdom. Whatever it is, it’s giving into temptation to fish in God’s sea of forgetfulness.

It is our own choice that we sometimes revisit forgiven sins. When we are aware of doing this, then we are using the very free will God gave us to sin against Him above all others. We are children of the One True King, who have been freed to live to honor Him, rather than recycle sins like those who aren’t His children.

God is patient, loving, and kind. He’ll let us go in circles if we choose, but with each pass, the Holy Spirit gives us that nudge…and sometimes a SHOVE! to get onto the right path, because His plans are good for us, if only we’ll work with Him.