6 PRACTICAL KEYS THAT WILL HELP YOU FIND YOUR WAY BACK TO GOD.
Estimated reading time: 12 minutes
A couple of weeks ago I found myself struggling to find my way back to God after a particular sin. Prayer seemed impossible. This was because I felt like a fraud and hypocrite, and this was simply because I knew better and still did it, anyway. And it made me wonder how many more people are struggling with this as well. Can you relate? Have you found yourself unable to go back after sinning? Well, today I have a very beautiful and encouraging word that the Holy Spirit ministered to me while in that funk.
Table of Contents
First off it is important to note that temptations will always come our way. The Bible reminds us that the enemy is always looking for whom to devour. The starting point for sin is temptation. The other thing we need to understand is that, since the fall of humanity, we are all prone to sin. Even the Bible reminds us we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
We cannot expect perfection as long as we are in these earthly bodies. It is after we have experienced glorification that we will be perfected. Here on earth, we are constantly being sanctified. This means that we will fall from time to time. However, we should not allow our human nature to keep us stuck in that state forever.
You see, the perfect example from the Bible is David. God referred to David as a man after His Own Heart. Yet from the scripture, we see several seemingly ‘monumental’ sins that David committed. Therefore, it makes little sense why God would call him a man after His Own Heart. And to refresh your memory here is one of them.
David and Bathsheba
11 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem. 2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof, he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, 3 and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” 4 Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness.) Then she went back home. 5 The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”
6 So David sent this word to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent him to David. 7 When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going. 8 Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him. 9 But Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master’s servants and did not go down to his house. 10 David was told, “Uriah did not go home.” So he asked Uriah, “Haven’t you just come from a military campaign? Why didn’t you go home?”
11 Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents,[a] and my commander Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open country. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and make love to my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!” 12 Then David said to him, “Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. 13 At David’s invitation, he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his master’s servants; he did not go home.
14 In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. 15 In it he wrote, “Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.”16 So while Joab had the city under siege, he put Uriah at a place where he knew the strongest defenders were. 17 When the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of the men in David’s army fell; moreover, Uriah the Hittite died.
Here we see David murder someone’s husband to cover up the first sin, which was adultery. Can you imagine what David must have felt after? He must have doubted his faith in God. Or maybe even wondered if he had even known God to begin with. Can you relate? I am not even talking about the degree of the sin he committed. What I mean is, have you ever found yourself going down a dark road after sinning for the first time in a particular area?
While what David did was horrible, I want us to learn a few lessons from his bounce back. Now let’s look at the keys we can learn from David that will help you find your way back to God. You see, David did not allow his sin to hinder Him from seeking redemption, and neither should you.
6 Keys that will help you find your way back to God
Acknowledgment is a key that will help you find your way back to God.
David had to acknowledge his sin. David came face to face with his sin, and he could no longer resist God, so he confessed his sin (Read Psalm 51). The same goes for you. You need to get to the point where you acknowledge your sin. And this means realizing that what you did was wrong. Before getting to this point, I was extremely frustrated because of the shame and condemnation. And the Holy Spirit would nudge me to acknowledge it instead. And it wasn’t after I acknowledged what I did and why I did it that my healing journey started.
The devil can only condemn you when you have unconfessed sin. Once you bring it to the light, the enemy has no power over you. Have you allowed the enemy to torment you? Today I encourage you to bring the sin to the light. When you expose your sin and bring it to the feet of Jesus. You gain power over the enemy.
Always remember that Jesus’s grace is available for you too. It is not just for other people. You too have the same access to His grace just like everyone else.
Repentance is another way to help you find your way back to God.
Repenting is another way to help you find your way back to God. God is holy and sin will always separate you from Him. And it is repentance that draws you back to Him. Repentance is turning away from your sin after confessing it to God. As you read Psalm 50, you realize that David had to come to the point of confessing his sin before God.
Again confessing means asking God for forgiveness for the sin committed. Again, you shouldn’t allow the enemy to keep you stuck in your last mistake. It is just that a mistake and you have the opportunity to get back up again. The Bible reminds us that as Christians we fall six times and rise up seven times. You have the opportunity to rise again. Go on ahead and do that. But remember this comes when you confess your sins.
Have you confessed your sins to God? Are you so embarrassed that you don’t even feel like repenting? Maybe you feel like despite knowing better you did it anyway. Today I want to encourage you to confess your sins to God. Let me give you a wonderful example, Peter after denying Jesus went on to confess his sin amid his bitter tears. And guess what, he was forgiven. His end was more glorious than the beginning because he went on to preach the gospel on the day of Pentecost. And through his preaching, he led 3000 people to Christ.
Mind you Peter knew what he was doing when betraying Jesus. What about David? He knew that what he was doing was wrong. And he did it anyway. When he confessed and turned from his sin, God forgave him. God promises to forgive you and blot out your transgressions when you repent. Child of God, do not wallow in the shame of your sins and mistakes. Confess and move forward. God is willing and waiting. Are you?
Relationship
Once you have repented you need to remember that your relationship with the Holy Spirit will help you live a holy life. Remember that the Holy Spirit is your friend, and through His help, you will navigate this life. Maybe you are wondering how to get back into that relationship. I want you to start by allowing the tender love of God to wash you.
As long as you don’t feel worthy, you will have a difficult time getting back on track. And the feeling of worthiness will come when you allow the love of God to make you whole. Remember all you need is to have the heart and willingness to tell God that you need Him. After all, He reminds us that He will not reject those who come to Him.
And He desires to have a relationship with you more than you desire one. Child of God, cultivating a relationship with the Holy Spirit requires you to intentionally spend time with Him. How do you do that? Read your Bible, pray, meditate on the word of God, worship, and praise, and lastly incorporate stillness in your life.
Boundaries
Setting boundaries will help you avoid falling back into the same cycle of sin again. You know, you cannot play with fire and not expect to get burnt. Therefore, you must avoid getting yourself into situations that will lead you to sin. Setting boundaries will help you put in place the measures you need to remain in the right standing with God. What are your triggers and weaknesses? Identify them. What days lead to you sinning the most? What environments heighten the temptation? Are there conversations or other external influences that trigger them? Take note of them. And as you do so, find ways that can counter the same.
An example would be avoiding the said environments that lead you to sin. Another thing would be steering clear of such conversations and external factors. On your triggers, it would be great for you to find the root cause of them. You could decide to seek counseling to help you identify them. On your weaknesses, you should identify the triggers and mentally note them. This will help you become aware of when you are triggered to find measures that will prevent you from sinning.
And lastly, remember that you cannot do it on your own so you should seek the help of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus left, He sent the Holy Spirit to help you and me. And asking Him for help should go without saying. Don’t try to do it all in your strength.
Accountability
Having people you are accountable to is another way to help you as you find your way back to God. You will have moments when the last thing you want to do is pray. And some days you will even struggle to follow God’s way. Whether it is because of societal pressure or peer pressure. And in such moments you need people to encourage you to hold on to your conviction.
You cannot live this Christian life alone. Find a community of believers who share the same conviction as you. They will encourage and pray for you when you are not at your best. God created us as relational beings. When you find that community, allow yourself to be vulnerable and honest with them. In doing that it will be easier for them to help you. A disclaimer would be to ensure that the people you confide in are led by the Holy Spirit. You wouldn’t want to find out that what you shared has spread to others. Be wise and allow the Holy Spirit to guide and lead you. He will give you the peace you need.
Steer away from condemnation, guilt, and shame
These three culprits will hinder you when you want to find your way back to God. And the only way you can steer clear of them is by realizing that you are human. And instead of listening to the inner critic, listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. After all, He lives inside you. And when you ask Him, He will speak to you. When you allow the word of God to fill your mind, the voice of the Holy Spirit will become clearer to you than the inner critic. After all, it is what you feed that will grow. Who do you want to feed?
Read the word of God whenever the thoughts of shame linger. Allow His word to speak to you in those moments when your sin is weighing you down. Reading the word of God is yet another way you will help you find your way back to God. Find scriptures that counter those negative thoughts and meditate on them until they become a part of you. One example would be, that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. This means that if you are in Christ, you cannot allow shame to torment you.
Child of God, shame, guilt, and condemnation do not come from God. The Holy Spirit convicts. And this comes from a place of love. The enemy condemns. Always remember that.
Therefore…
Today I want to encourage you to get back up again. I know you messed up. Find your way back to God. This is His message for you today. He loves you. And that is why He sent Jesus Christ to die for your sins. You don’t need to live a condemned life. He already paid the price and His grace is sufficient. Welcome Him back into your life.
And remember no sin is big enough that He cannot forgive. He wants you to know that when you repent, He is faithful and just to forgive you. Besides that, He will wipe the slate clean and remember your sins no more as He says in Jeremiah 30. I don’t know what the sin is, God wants you to know, that it is already covered. You are debt free beloved of God. Rest on that truth today!
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Radiantly Resurging
Mercy is the author and founder of radiantly resurging. She is a Christian and having gone through the wilderness season, she decided to impart the knowledge learned to help others navigate their wilderness season too
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