Rationalizing (1)
Wednesday June 21, 2017
Addicts are experts at creating excuses to rationalize their behavior and to minimize the complexity of their problems. Rationalizing is an attempt to explain or justify one’s behaviour with complicated excuses or reasons. It is a way to minimize the significance of the risky actions one intends to proceed with, or defend things they’ve already done.
There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. (Proverbs 14:12 NLT)
As fallen human beings, in a broken world, our reasoning is flawed by the misinformation we process every day. Rationalizing our behaviour is rebellion against God whether we specifically disobey God’s commands or just silently choose to say “no” to God's quiet voice in our spirit. No matter how much we try to justify our sinful behavior it has its consequences and will hurt us. This includes not only harmful thoughts and behaviour but also sins of omission – those things we know we should do but avoid doing or just can’t be bothered making the effort to do.
We are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. (1 John 1:6-7, James 4:17 NLT)
Rationalizing is a sin because it means telling lies, and telling lies has grave consequences. Making excuses for sin gives it a foothold in our lives, damages our relationship with God, and causes harm to us and to others. If we continue to rationalize our rebellious actions, our hearts will become hard and the Holy Spirit’s voice in our ears will grow increasingly faint. A relapse won’t be far behind.
Prayer: Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. AMEN (Psalm 139:23-24 NIV)
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