We know our sins. And we’re under no illusion that they don’t also come with a high cost and cause much heartache and grief. But humbly recognizing this should not cause us to shrink back into shame. In Christ, sin is no longer the defining element of our story. And we’ve been called to advance the good of God’s kingdom. As such, we must remember to be humble warriors.
On the one hand, we should never become so prideful to assume our sin doesn’t matter. Or to pretend that just because it’s forgiven we still don’t have to do the work of reconciliation and making amends with those we’ve harmed. We need a good dose of humility in recognizing the cost and impact of our sins.
But in an effort to avoid pride many then swing to the opposite extreme and adopt a posture of false humility. And here they come to believe that their shame has disqualified them from the battlefield. Beyond the time needed for basic recovery, they’ve placed themselves permanently on the sidelines. But in doing so they’ve also abdicated their responsibility to bring more life and goodness into the world.
Like the Apostle Paul, we must become a humble warrior – not ignoring or otherwise downplaying our past, but also not letting it hold us back from the work God has given us to do. And we become ineffective when we go to one extreme or the other.
Our pride often causes us to live in fear – not letting others get too close lest they expose our shame. We might also be prone to anger at even an innocuous reference in passing to our past. And, on the other hand, shame causes us to be filled with all sorts of doubts and insecurities – robbing us of our God-given strength to make things happen.
In the end, freely acknowledge your sinful past without letting this hold you back. Remain humble yet fierce in advancing the good God has called you to do.
