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How to Fix What’s Wrong in My Life

Let God identify the real problem

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. ROMANS 3:23 NLT

Sin can mean to…

Jesus answered him… he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin. JOHN 19:11 ESV

And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. JAMES 1:13-15 NLT

Sin always separates

– Sin separates me from God now

It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore. ISAIAH 59:2 NLT

– Sin separates me from God forever

They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power. 2 THESSALONIANS 1:19 NLT

– Sin separates me from the people I love

At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. GENESIS 3:7 NLT

You take everything personally because you don’t see anything spiritually.

Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus. ACTS 15:39 NLT

– Sin separates me from my purpose in life

But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” LUKE 5:8 ESV 

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. EPHESIANS 2:10 NLT

Let God show you how to make your life right   

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin…. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus. ROMANS 3:23-26 NLT

I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent. LUKE 5:32 NLT

My Notes

Personal Reflection Guide

Take a deep breath and prepare your heart to confess to God and listen to his voice. Invite him into your time. What are some thoughts or actions you’ve had this past week that you know were sinful because you missed the mark, disobeyed God, or knowingly committed an act of evil or wrongdoing? How have these thoughts or actions been affecting you this week, both internally (your relationship with yourself and with God) and externally (your relationships with others)? The Bible tells us we are all sinners, but some people are able to see their sin and humble themselves, whereas others try to hide it and are hypocrites. Read Luke 18:9-14, the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee. The tax collector, a known sinner, humbly asks God for mercy, while the Pharisee boasts about how good he is. Jesus says, “I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God” (Luke 18:14, NLT). Spend some time confessing your sins before God and asking for a humble heart that is quick to see your sin, quick to confess it, and quick to turn from it. Praise him that he is always ready and willing to forgive and show us mercy!

Discussion Questions

  1. What have you been learning about yourself, God or others in your personal Bible reading time? What stood out to you this week?
  2. Read Romans 3:23. We all have missed the mark in every area of our lives. As you look back over your life, where do you find yourself repeatedly missing the mark? What have you done to address this problem and how has it worked?
  3. Read James 1:13-15. Since all sin leads to death, which sins do you tend to take more seriously, and which do you treat like they are “no big deal.” Why?
  4. Read Isaiah 59:2. Not only does our sin separate us from God eternally, but it also separates us from him in the moment. When have you experienced separation from God because of sin? What did you learn from it?
  5. Read Genesis 3:7. Not only does sin separate us from God, but it also separates us from people. Where is your public or private sin separating you from others today? What do you need to do about it?
  6. Read Luke 5:32. To repent is to confess your sin and make changes so as not to repeat it. What do you need to repent of today? What do you need to do this week to help the changes stick? How would your life be different if you were free from these sins?