Wednesday, November 22, 2023

“Villain In Me” by Tenille Townes

The voice that I don't wanna hear, the hurtful words I say

The long list of things about myself I wanna change

The heavy cloud that won't leave even after it rains

I try to be a hero 'til it brings me to my knees

Yeah, there's a villain in me

These are the lyrics from Tenille Townes’ song, but if we’re being honest, many of us could have written these same words. Try as we might, none of us is perfect, and each of us possesses a “villain” inside.

As you recall from yesterday’s post, “everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23). Though we might like to believe we are heroes, pretend we can keep it all together on our own, or fool ourselves into thinking we can do enough good (and avoid enough bad) to earn our way to God, the reality is none of us measures up on our own.

We are all fallen and broken and in need of a true hero.

Thankfully, long before we were even born, God, in his grace and perfect love for us, sent us a Savior.

Romans 5:8 NIV
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

While we were deliberately sinning against God—disobeying his commands and rejecting his authority—Christ died for us. He sacrificed his life, heroically taking upon himself the sin of rebels—villains—like you and me.

2 Corinthians 5:21
For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

No matter how much we try, there’s nothing we can do to make ourselves right with God—no amount of church attendance, Bible reading, or behavior modification will ever suffice. And no amount of money, fame, or self-indulgence will ever fulfill the deepest longings of our broken hearts.

The only cure for our brokenness and the only true and lasting fulfillment is found in accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior. Amidst all the other temporary options, choose to turn toward him—the one and only eternal hope.

Questions:
In what ways have you tried to save yourself? How has that worked out for you?

What do you tend to turn toward to fulfill your needs?

In what ways do you need Jesus to continue to restore and heal you?

Next Steps:
Consider taking the next few weeks to read through the book of Romans. Try reading one chapter per day to finish in 16 days, or find a sustainable pace for you.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I recognize no matter how hard I try, I am not a hero like you. I can’t do enough good things to earn my way to you, and I cannot save myself. Thank you for sending Jesus, the true hero, to do what I cannot. Thank you for making a way for me to be forgiven of my sins and have a relationship with you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Series Theme Verse:

Romans 1:20
For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

This post was written by David Hammack Jr, a regular contributor to the LivingItOut, and the Students Pastor at the Whitehouse Campus.