Sunday, April 11, 2010

Tug of War

My previous post was my latest attempt at comedy, which I have to admit that I find myself terribly funny and sometimes just plain terrible. But, the moment I wrote the phrase, “…I began to walk faster thinking how ironic it was, and completely like myself, to try to be disciplined in one area of my life and not the other.” Something inside of me wanted to elaborate on our tendency to have noble expectations and desires and yet fall short.

It’s a universal dilemma that we all face. If discipline was a four letter word it would be this: work. It’s not just work, its hard work. We can have good intentions to live a life of godliness, desire to live by the word of God, and miserably fail at times with a heart full of good intentions. But, we are not alone in this. Paul wrote:

“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.” (Rom 7:15-16 NIV)

“So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me, for in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. (vs. 21-23)

Here is the part that gives me great hope:

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2)

Even the apostle Paul wrestled within longing for the tug of war inside of him to be removed. He realized that apart from Christ, there was no good thing inside of him. So many times we try to do things in our own strength before leaning on Christ. Jesus Christ came to set us free! Freedom can only come through Him.

So as I long to be more disciplined in my life, to exercise more and lay off the Twinkies, to feed my spirit with the word and lean on Christ alone before trying to fix things in my own strength, I’m completely aware that I am going to have days that make Jillian Michaels cringe. Days where I do the complete opposite of what I desire to do and yet I know at the end of the day I will be welcomed by a loving Savior.

2 comments:

  1. Thank you Lord, that your love for me is not dependent on my ability to be disciplined! Yet help me to become more like you. It makes me think of my children, and how they make poor choices, even though they know better. Next time I will respond with a little more grace. God give me some--I need it!

    I came to comment, and Hey look! There's me at the bottom of this page. :) -chelsea

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  2. Chelsea,
    I was just doing my Bible study for "Breaking Free" about how God loves us as sons and daughters and disciplines us from His heart of unfailing love! It goes right along with this post! We are SO loved!

    Trust me, I'm feeling the effects of this steroid shot and feeling terribly cranky! I had to ask the girls to forgive me last night! Thank God for GRACE!!

    Love you!

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