“But sin is the deadliest force because it takes us out of the flow of the Spirit.”- John Ortberg
In Chapter 13 (“Recognize Your Primary Flow Blocker”) of The Me I Want to Be, John Ortberg encourages us to give serious thought to how God grades our moral character. That is, grade out in the eyes of our holy, just, righteous, and truth-telling God.
Therefore, Pastor Ortberg explains why sin constitutes the world’s deadliest force. John exhorts:
“We must identify and understand that which threatens our ability to flourish, and only sin can keep us from becoming the person God wants us to become. All other challenges face us from the outside. Sin works its way inside, strangling our soul.”
Specifically, each of us must identify what author Michael Mangis calls our “signature sin.” In other words, your sin pattern is unique to you. As a result, temptation starts close to home. It centers in the passions and desires God’s wired into us. Satan attempts to pull those passions and desires a few degrees off course. In turn, that subtle deviation creates enough disruption to hinder the flow of the Spirit.
In conclusion, John underscores our critical need to identify signature sin patterns in ourselves and others:
- lack of self-awareness results in vulnerability
- knowing our signature sin pattern tells us what we need to be most spiritually alive
- knowing other people’s patterns helps us live in community because we develop patience
John summarizes:
“For when we know ourselves and each other, when we walk in love, we are free to be called to the best version of ourselves — God’s hand-signed version of ourselves.”
That’s the signature we truly desire!
Today’s question: What signature sin = the deadliest force in your life? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Hear any soul beeping sounds?”
