The Strength To Do What Is Right

“Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

Genesis 3:11

“Did you eat that last cookie?” “Did you take your sister’s toy?” A little child might say, “No, not me,” even as she wipes the crumbs from her face, or as he hides the toy behind his little back. That behavior is expected of such a small one—and many parents make these into teaching moments. But as we grow older, we learn to take responsibility and own up to our actions. It’s a mark of maturity to rely on honesty rather than denial, on reality rather than blame. And it’s a mark of God’s grace.

Adam and Eve took the kids’ way out in Genesis, blaming and denying. But God, like a loving parent, knew what had happened and used it as a teaching moment—the first and most crucial one in history. From Adam and Eve we learn what guilt should do for us. It serves as a signal that we need to turn away from our out-of-line behavior and return to the Father who loves us.

So when you get that hand-in-the-cookie-jar feeling, remember to take responsibility for your actions before God. It’s not easy to confess, but it’s the first step in accepting God’s miraculous forgiveness.

Lord, please grow me in honesty and maturity. Give me courage to do what is right and to take responsibility so I can know Your forgiveness.