GODLY AND WORLDLY SORROWS 4

GODLY AND WORLDLY SORROWS 4

Text: 1 Samuel 13:1-14
Memory text:
ā€œthen I said, ā€˜The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord.ā€™ Therefore I felt compelled and offered a burnt offering.ā€ā€
ā€­ā€­I Samuelā€¬ ā€­13ā€¬:ā€­12ā€¬ ā€­NKJVā€¬ā€¬

Ungodly sorrow or worldly sorrow is one of the causes of many derailed, frustrated, wasted, or ruined destinies. I have seen many gifted men, women, and brethren with promising future who made a mess of their gifts and talents because of this attitude. The truth is that ungodly sorrow is just the skin cover for an inner pride. And like Solomon said, pride usually precedes destruction.
According to our text, this was the problem of Saul. Prophet Samuel, by the Spirit, had given him a clear command, which was that he should wait for him in Gilgal for seven days (1 Sam 10:8). However, Saul lost his patience and disobeyed. Letā€™s look at how he expressed ungodly sorrow.
Firstly, he didnā€™t acknowledge nor confessed his sins when Samuel confronted him. Samuel said, “What have you done?” These words were like a sharp knife in his heart and an opportunity for Saul to be broken down before the Lord, confess his sins of disobedience and repent. Worldly sorrow makes the heart stony when confronted with oneā€™s sins while godly sorrow makes the heart soft. Saul acted differently from David, who exhibited a broken and contrite heart and said,”I have sinned against the LORDā€, when prophet Nathan confronted him with his sins (2 Sam 12:13). While Davidā€™s godly sorrow won him Godā€™s forgiveness, Saulā€™s ungodly sorrow made him lose his crown.
Secondly, Saul began to rationalize and make excuses for his obvious sins instead of being sorry and repentant. Rationalization is the action of attempting to explain or justify wrong behavior or attitude with logical reasons.
He made excuses like these, ā€œit was the peopleā€; ā€œit was your faultā€; ā€œit was the Philistinesā€! And he rationalized like, ā€œIf the soldiers didnā€™t desert meā€; ā€œif you hadnā€™t come lateā€; ā€œif the Philistines werenā€™t getting so close!ā€ Excuses multiply lies and make matters worse. Billy Sunday defines excuses as, ā€œthe skin of a reason stuffed with a lie.ā€ Sin does not occur in a vacuum, but one sin invariably leads to another. People with ungodly sorrow are always spontaneous with excuses for their failures. This attitude made him finally lose his throne (1 Sam 15:15,21,23). Even after Samuel had pronounced that he had been rejected as being king, Saul wasnā€™t repentant but only bothered about his shame (1 Sam 15:25).
Friends, are you skilled at making excuses and rationalizing your sins? Donā€™t let ungodly sorrow and pride ruin your beautiful future.

Prayer points
1. Father, deliver me from the habit of excuse making and rationalizing when I am confronted with my sins, in Jesusā€™ name.
2. Father, purge me from every inner pride, ungodly sorrow, and preserve my destiny from ruin, in Jesusā€™ name.

Todayā€™s declarations
1. People with ungodly sorrow are always spontaneous with excuses and rationalizations when confronted with their failures.
2. Ungodly sorrow is the skin cover of an inner pride and excusesĀ coverĀ lies.

Contact: pastor@thf.org.ng