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Centered, Day 5 By Jason Brown, from the book Centered: Trading Your Plans for a Life That Matters First Fruits Farm, when you get down to its bare essentials, is just a thousand acres of dirt. It’s filled with plenty of other things: trees and ponds and barns and crops, and the dirt might be the last thing you see. To most people’s eyes, dirt’s not much to look at. It’s brown and boring. Get dirt on your hands, and you scrub it away with soap and water. Get mud on your shoes, and you scrape it off. We don’t like dirt. It’s about the lowest, humblest material on God’s green earth. But put a seed in that dirt and give it a little sun and water and care, and it grows into something useful, even beautiful. According to the Bible, we’re made of dirt and formed of dust from the ground. And what does God do? He takes us and plants a seed in us. He molds us in His own image. Sometimes when we look around the landscape of our lives, we see something dirty. Ugly. We see failures and disasters and setbacks. We look at those grimy moments in our lives and wish we could just wash them away. But God uses those mo­ments to grow something good. Something awesome and true. Something miraculous. He uses humble people, and people who’ve been humbled, to do great works for Him and His kingdom. But we have to trust Him. We have to allow Him to work through us, even if sometimes it can feel painful. I look around our farm and think about how good, and how generous, our God is sometimes. How even during the darkest of times—those times when our finances were such that we could barely pay our bills—God sustained us through it all. How He blessed us when we needed it, how He gave us strength and courage when we felt as though we couldn’t take another step in this life. I look at all the miracles He’s given us. I’m not talking about greenhouses or roosters; I’m talk­ing about our children. Our family. Our love for each other. We have all kinds of needs. But what do I really need? What has been the only thing I’ve ever needed? God. Just God. Heavenly Father, I trust that you are good and work for my good. I will remember your sustaining love. Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Genesis 2:7 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Matthew 13:8 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” Matthew 13:23 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

What is sin? Think back to a decision you made recently that didn’t honor God. Maybe in the moment, the choice felt fun, or maybe you didn’t know how to say “no.” Maybe you just felt stuck or tired, and you didn’t see any alternative. We’ve all done things that weigh us down and make us wonder, “Why do I seem to do what I know is wrong? ”The world encourages us to “follow our hearts,” but our feelings can easily trick us into doing things that don’t align with God’s will. In Scripture, sin is often used to describe actions that miss the target God has asked us to aim for: living a life centered around loving God and others. While there are universal actions that dishonor God, small acts of disobedience also pull us away from Him. The apostle James wrote that “it is a sin to know what the right thing to do is, and then not do it.”In other words, if you know what God is asking you to do, yet you still decide to disobey Him—then you’re undermining God’s authority in your life. Sin entices us because it is self-gratifying, but it results in eternal separation from God and others. How do we change? Jesus’ voluntary sacrifice and separation from God led to our reconciliation with Him. None of this is because we deserved it, but because God always desired it. God wants to help us change because He knew we couldn’t overcome sin on our own. So if you don’t know Jesus, the first step you can take to overcome sin is to invite Him to transform your life. But if you already belong to Jesus—He has given you the grace, strength, and forgiveness you need to live a life that honors Him. So when you make choices you later regret, here are three practical action steps you can take: 1. Keep drawing near to God every day. The more time you spend with God, the more you will want to honor Him and do His will. Over time, God will transform your mind and change the way you think. 2. Get connected to community. The people who surround you will influence the choices you make. Consider asking some people you know and admire to draw near to God with you. 3. Ask God to search your heart. We can only change when we allow God to change us. Consider praying the following prayer each day, and ask God to transform you: God, I don’t want to take part in bad habits or poor decisions that don’t lead to an abundant life. So please search me, and know my heart. Test my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Renew my mind so that I can know what Your will is, and walk in it. Here I am, Lord. I surrender—I am Yours. In Jesus’ name, Amen.