Tuesday, 03 November 2009

• Even Paul Had Internal Struggles

  I am not a super Christian. I get upset easily. I take things personally and often over react. All of us have areas in our lives that we are not happy with--a negative side, the part of us we try to minimize. For me, one of these areas is taking things personally and over reacting. I used to be quite famous for blowing up and saying things in the moment of anger that I greatly regret later.  However, I'm doing much better than I did six months ago, or a year ago.
  
  There are times I wonder when I'm going to see "true" victory in these areas. Paul talks about this in the book of Romans:
  
  What I don't understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can't be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God's command is necessary. (Romans 7:14-16, The Message)
  
  We constantly fight a spiritual war with our own physical worldly body. Paul goes into great detail in Romans 7:17-24 (The Message): 
  
  But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.

  It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God's commands, but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.
  

  I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question?

  Paul shows that Jesus Christ is the only answer to our constant battle to yield our bodies to God:
  

  The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different. (Romans 7:25, The Message)
  

  All I can do on a regular basis is to give my life, flaws and all and trust in Him. Yes, I do get discouraged at times. However I know that I'm being changed by Him.  If I can calmly step back and look at things after I give the situation to the Lord, I can incredibly see progress in these areas I thought would never change!

  If even the apostle Paul had to constantly war with his flesh then we can use what he wrote here to comfort us in our ongoing battle. 

  Is it encouraging to know that even Paul had internal struggles? What can we learn from his example and apply to our own personal battles?
  

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