Can I Guard Against Self-sabotage?

Friends play a significant role in each person’s life from childhood onward. There are many levels of friendship, ranging from casual to best friends. In healthy friendships the ties that bind individuals together are personal strengths like commitment, trust, respect, and abiding love.

Mutual weaknesses exist in friendships, but mutual strengths tend to compensate for weaknesses in each other’s character and personality. Samuel’s role was to mentor Saul on how to be king, but more importantly, to listen and obey God’s instructions. This was to be his highest objective.

1 Samuel 15 reveals Saul’s propensity for self-sabotage leading to God’s rejecting him as Israel’s king. God rejected Saul for disobedience and for lying about being obedient. Living within God’s boundaries is the best deterrent to self-sabotage. Daily acknowledging the presence of God in your life should always be your highest priority.  

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All day and all night your hand was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water on a sunny day until I finally admitted all my sins to you an stopped trying to hide them. I said to myself, “I will confess my sins to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.

~Psalm 32:4-5 The Living Bible

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What Makes Self-sabotage a Prevalent Option?

Rare is the person who could say their efforts to do what is good and right were never undermined by a friend or competitor. Most governments gather information to undermine efforts to harm their people. Everyone has the tendency to sabotage their fellowship with God by choosing sin.

A few years ago an Olympian ice skater became jealous of another Olympian whom she perceived as a threat to her winning the gold medal. She then inflicted a crippling injury to the other skater to eliminate her as competition. This brutal act resulted in permanent disqualification from the Olympics.

Saul, God’s chosen king of Israel, set himself in opposition to God’s blessings. He was prideful to a fault and would blame others for his failures. When God’s approval is your goal, the joy and strength you find in him prevents self-sabotage from gaining a strangle-hold. 

Hold on tightly to this truth.                         

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The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: Sexual immorality; impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissentions, faction and envy; drunkenness, orgies ... But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

~Galatians 5:19-23  New International Version

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Subscribe to the Attitudes Answers podcast on your favorite podcast platform to hear this and other 2-minute features 3 days every week.