Don't Put the Cart Before the Horse

As I was reading Romans this morning, God reminded me that for such a long time I was trying to put the cart before the horse. If you put a cart 'behind' a horse, the horse is able to 'pull' the cart with ease... try to put that same cart in front of or 'before' the horse and the horse will not be able to push it.

I used to think that I was a sinner because I sinned. God recently showed me that "I was putting the cart before the horse." I now realize, I sinned because I was a sinner, that was my nature before I met and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

I used to think that in order to BE righteous, I had to do and act "righteous." God recently showed me that (yep, you guessed it) "I was putting the cart before the horse." I now realize I am able to act righteous because I AM righteous through Jesus Christ!

This may seem like an insignificant difference, but let me assure you there is a BIG difference!

Before when I would do something wrong (sin), I would start focusing on the thing or sin that I had done and soon would fall under condemnation and feel very unworthy and unrighteous. I would think things like, "How can God use me when I am such a sinner?" Or... I would try to become more 'righteous' by setting goals to increase the hours that I would pray and read the Word, etc. And then life would happen and I would fall short of those goals, AGAIN! I would then think, "How am I ever going to obtain a standard of righteousness good enough to be used by God?"

Now when I mess up and do something wrong (sin) I remind myself, "I am no longer a sinner, so stop acting like one. I am righteous through Jesus Christ, so start acting like Jesus." I am telling you from experience, it is a whole lot easier to stop sinning when you know that you are NOT a sinner! And it is a whole lot easier to act righteous when you know that you ARE righteous! Romans 5:19 "For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous."

Romans 6:14-15 says, "For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!" Understanding true grace does not give a license to sin it makes you realize that you are no longer a slave to sin.

Romans 6:17-18 goes on to say, "But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness."

I thank God that He allowed me to get the cart "behind" the horse in this area of my life!