Welcome my friends to season 3 of the Determined to Dance podcast. My prayer is that you’ll be encouraged to persevere daily in our chaotic world. Today’s episode, Don’t Give Up the Dance, focuses on sin and how it can move us off of the dance floor.

Show Notes: Don’t Give Up the Dance

I am not perfect. In fact, I’m far from it in thought, word, and deed. Yes, Jesus lives in my heart, the Holy Spirit is within me as the helper, and God listens to my prayers, but I still mess up. Often. I sin.

What is sin, exactly? The most basic meaning is to miss the mark. Fall short of a goal. Mess up. I have to admit that sometimes I’m jealous, I gossip, I follow thoughts I shouldn’t, and I can hurt others with my words and deeds. I miss the mark.

And what usually follows close behind sin? Guilt and shame. I believe God lets us experience a godly sorrow so we can turn back to Him, the only One who can forgive our sins. Jesus lived a perfect life, then died and was resurrected so we could experience forgiveness. We have only to ask.

II Chronicles 7:14 shows us the right way to move past sin. “… if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

We have a part to play:

We humble ourselves, admitting we need God.
We pray to God, asking for forgiveness.
We continue to seek God’s face so we don’t fall back into sin.
We turn from sin and wickedness. We don’t put ourselves in the position to sin again.

God takes it from here:

He hears. Our cries are never ignored.
He forgives. He removes our sin as far as the East is from the West.
He heals. He makes our broken parts whole.

What a great God we serve. But sometimes the guilt and shame try to hang around. Jeff Walling explains what has been done: “Shame from sin doesn’t just evaporate. It can’t be expelled by wishing it away. In the court of God’s will, someone must answer for the crime. Jesus was willing and able to be that someone. He allows me the chance to dance again, even after I sin—if I will give him my shame. Having faced and acknowledged my culpability, I hold out my guilt, which he graciously accepts … It is essential that once shame has been acknowledged, it be released to Christ. I must trust him with my shame. Only through allowing Jesus to bear our shame are we free to dance…”

For the shame and guilt to disappear, we must first admit the sin, then give it to Jesus and refuse to hang onto the guilt and shame and the self-pity that tends to go along with them.

To continue to dance with God, we must do this. No one can dance while carrying the burden that comes with sin. It’s just too heavy.

Let’s pray: Father God, we humble ourselves before you and admit we have sinned. We have followed our own way instead of your way. We ask for forgiveness and will seek Your face daily so we won’t get pulled back into wickedness. We turn from our old ways and follow your ways. Every day. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.

I might miss the mark but God forgives me when I ask.

Today’s featured author is Rosemary B. Althoff (ALL’-TOFF), author of the Christian sci-fi novels in the Soul’s Warfare series. Rosemary wants to show God is active in science and working for people who need recovery. In Book 2, THE CAVE CHAMBER, Lewis tries hard to stop the enemy from conquering two worlds—including Earth. Meanwhile, his little brother Patrick wants to be a hero, and his friends want to find and help him, but as for his sister Gracie, … how can a little girl save the universe? Rosemary B. Althoff’s books are available to order from Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, and Target.

Next week, we look at the problem of pain. Until then, stay determined to dance…

Click to tweet: Today’s episode of the Determined to Dance Podcast, Don’t Give Up the Dance,