But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:16-18

Last night I was having dinner with a friend.  We were catching up on old times and catching up on where our friends are currently (especially since I am not the best at keeping in touch).   None of us have a perfect life.  Some of our friends are doing great; other are struggling.  There are some friends who have walked away from walking with God at this current time and others who are more in love with God than ever before.  One thing seemed to be a common denominator, what they did with sin and the fear that comes from it.  See, the way they faced their fear and even shame, determined the path which they walked.  Some of you may be confused at this point, so I will break it down a little more.

We all sin and fall short of the glory of God.  Right?  If you dont know what that is in Romans, you should definitely memorize it, how about starting with Romans 1 and read until you find it :)  Anyways, the way we react to our sin determines a lot for us.  The funny thing is, God knows, yet if we hide it we feel that maybe He missed that one?  Or, we know that God knows but owning up to the things we have chosen other than God we cannot get up the courage to do.  We allow fear of people's opinion to our lives, acceptance from others, judgment, etc. to impact our walk with God.  My friend was so right when they said, "it is the things that we hide that hold us in fear, and we allow what we keep so quiet to end up ruling our lives."

Think about it, how true.  When we are closed off and hide things, we are allowing that as a playground and even breeding ground for Satan to own us.  I mean if we are keeping it from God and allowing our sin to continue to breathe, then Satan definitely has a foothold at this point.

So, what do we do?

First, stop thinking about others!  Find a close group of girls whom you can have accountability.  Find people who you can be open with your struggles and there is no judgment but instead they build you up and encourage you to be the woman you were created to be.

Pray for the body of Christ.  One reason many people I know do not re-enter the church doors or enter the church doors to begin with is because they fear judgment.  Pray that we learn to live a life like Ephesians 4:29.  Where we lift one another up and only say things that build others up.  We do not allow someone's choices make us sin (hmmmm....gossip?) but rather that we love them with the love of Christ and not in any way be a stumbling block to their walk with God.

Last but not least, learn to live honest lives where we learn from our mistakes.  It seems so basic but it is also one area I see people not ever get.  See, after we have learned to be honest before God, ourselves, and other believers then we have the ability to grow and thrive.  We do not allow sin to rule our lives but rather use it as a way to grow close to God and thank him for his grace and love.  If you have messed up, figure out how you got there. Then, figure out what you need to do to prevent it from happening again.  Still not getting it, here are some examples"

If you find that you inappropriate conversations with the opposite sex late at night.  Have a curfew to put your phone away way before you get to that point.  How about not texting those people anymore and erasing their numbers?

Maybe you find that certain friends bring you down, bring out the worst in you, or aide you in making poor decisions.  Need a new friend group?  Could you possibly learn to say no?  Can you take a stand to be a leader and not a follower?

Retrace that paths that lead you to sin and then RUN!!  We have got to learn to stop playing with sin.  It is not a joking matter, it is deadly.  I know about you, but those times where I live free from sin and I am truly alive in Christ (because I am not held in bondage by anyone or anything), those are the best times of my life.  So, how about you...ready to journey with me to live a life of freedom and joy?

Start today.  No excuses.