When we think of the shortcomings in our character, do we immediately have a sense of remorse or are we more likely to try to justify them? Some of us attribute out shortcomings to the impact of our harmful life experiences. We believe we are this way because others injured us or did not meet our needs. The blame game then takes over our thinking process and we allow ourselves to act in irresponsible ways because,for a time, it seems to silence our pain.
The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way. The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all who keep his covenant and obey his demands. (Psalm 25:8-10 NLT)
To humbly ask God to remove our shortcomings we must first become aware of how different our behaviour is from God’s principles for experiencing life to the full. Whether we have done a formal inventory or have just reviewed our day, we need to humbly admit that our shortcomings are negatively impacting us and those we have encountered on our journey. Only the power of the Holy Spirit working in us will enable us to change our ways and help us become the person that God created us to.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9 NIV)
Without God we can do nothing. We need God’s help to identify our shortcomings and the work of His Holy Spirit to give us the will and the power to have them removed. To experience life as God intends, we need to leave behind our stubborn pride and our own flawed knowledge and view our life through the lens of truth. God’s way will be different from what we have known and acted on in the past, but it is the sure way to victory over our harmful self-absorption.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, without You I can do nothing. I humbly ask You to remove my character defects and help me live in a way that honours You and those I am in contact with. AMEN
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