Hello!

Have you ever known a super-Christian before? I’m not being facetious (this time).  Seriously, have you ever known someone that was like…a step above most Christians? They aren’t prideful about it. Not “holier-than-thou.” 

But they just walk in a lot of wisdom. They seem to know the right things to say at the right time, the right decisions to make and directions to go, all that.  

More than that – they don’t seem to struggle as much as other people do. Not just other people…they don’t seem to struggle with sin, doubt, worry, etc. as much as you do. You keep falling to the same traps and tricks of the enemy, while they’ve got a measure of freedom that feels out of reach.  

What’s their secret? 

One thing I’ve found as I’ve gotten close to some of these Godly people through the years is that they’re really good at thinking ahead when it comes to patterns of sin that they’ve historically struggled with.  

What I mean is that if they had struggled with the issue of worry and feeling anxious, they had (at some point along their journey) made the decision to put habits, disciplines, and thought patterns in place that would counter that struggle. Maybe they had a list of truths and scriptures about God’s faithfulness that they would say when they felt anxious or they had prayers they prayed each day to combat it.  

If they had struggled with being overly critical and judgmental, they identified the root (insecurity) and built habits to fight it—like practicing daily encouragement, taking captive their critical thoughts and thinking 5 positive, grace-filled things about the person in question, etc.  

If they had struggled with spending, they used an app to track it and an accountability partner to help guide them. If they struggled with pornography, they gave a trusted friend full access to all of their devices and filtering services. If they had struggled with gluttony, they stopped buying sweets altogether.  

For 7 weeks at New Life, we’re using a book called Think Ahead to talk through 7 decisions that, when made ahead of time, will position us to live the gospel-centered life God has created us to live. I hope you’ve gotten the book and started reading it! In part one of that book, Craig Groeshel talks about the very thing these super-Christians we all admire have figured out.  

All of them, without exception, have moved the line.  

Instead of waiting until sin is most enticing to fight it, they’ve moved the line wayyy back. That way it’s much harder to stumble into the actual sin. Make sense? They’re humble enough to know that they can’t trust themselves at the moment of temptation.  

If the donut is there, they’ll eat it.  

If the sexual images and videos are easily accessible on their phone, they’ll look at them.  

If there are no guardrails or accountability, they’ll buy stuff they don’t need on amazon every single day.  

They’re honest with themselves about that, and instead of allowing themselves to say “oh well, I guess I’ll always fail,” they make a plan. A plan to…move the line. So that sin isn’t so easy to succumb to.  

That’s their secret.  

What about you? Is there a sin that you fall to on the regular? A temptation you can’t seem to beat? 

Maybe, just maybe…you should move the line.  

Don’t wait until you’re standing over the pitfall of sin. With the help of those who love you, draw the line further back. Create guardrails and obstacles that you would have to barrel through in order to actually fall into that pitfall.  

Then maybe someone will be asking you some day, “how do you do it? How are you such a strong Christ-follower!?”  

To which you can reply, “It’s not about willpower. It’s about wisdom. The wise don’t wait for temptation—they move the line.”  

Humble yourselves…Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him… (1 Peter 5:6, 8-9a ESV) 

Grace and Peace,  
Pastor Jake 

PS 

What’s one temptation you can guard against this week? What’s one step you can take to move the line today?