Believe That God is Good

Exerpt from Getting to No: How To Break A Stubborn Habit by Erwin W. Lutzer

What causes this lack of enthusiasm for getting rid of sin? We are afraid that some worthwhile pleasure will pass us by. We question whether God's way is indeed the best. If we doubt God's goodness, we will not only resist change but also fear it. A young man I counseled simply could not give his future to God for fear that God might require him to drop out of medical school. He doubted whether God's will for him would be the best.

Countless Christians resist surrender to God, frightened of what God might require of them. He might lead them to the mission field, let them remain single, or require that they give up their love of money or thier pursuit of sinful pleasures.

When you doubt God's goodness, you hug sin tightly to your bosom, afraid that God will rob you of your crutch, your pastime, your pleasure. Occasionally, you are stirred to give up your sin, but you soon find that you can't risk the loss.

But is your way really better than God's? Was Satan the good guy in the garden of Eden? And God the villain? Jesus put the matter straight, "the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I come that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (John 10:10). To believe that your way is better than God's way is to take your place with Adam and Eve and believe Satan's lie. No matter how many pleasures Satan offers you, his ultimate intention is to ruin you. Your destruction is his highest priority.

On the positive side, if you accept the fact that God is good, two results will follow: First, you will realize that you can surrender to Him without reservations or fear of being cheated; second, you will thirst for change, understanding that the temporary watering holes of the world cannot compare to the everlasting springs of life that are in Christ.

So are you prepared to yield yourself wholly to God without conditions, without reservations, and without a hidden agenda? No matter how attractive your sinful habit is, are you willing to let God teach you that His way is perfect? If so, you will be prepared to part with your sin, knowing that God will replace it with something better.