Romans 7:21-25a…“Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” vss. 24-25a
Paul had concluded that there was absolutely nothing that he could do to help himself. No matter how hard he tried, no matter what kind of self-talk he used, no matter how many self-help books he read, there was no way he could escape his addiction to sin. It was impossible! And after a lot of sleepless nights it finally dawned on him. He had to quit battling and surrender! He had a Savior close at hand, Jesus Christ, and in him there was power to change and lead a Spirit-filled life!
It sounds simple, doesn’t it? Just surrender! But when egotistical humans are involved, there is probably nothing more difficult. Even a long record of repeated failures isn’t generally enough to convince us that there isn’t anything that we can do. Only when we hit bottom, as Paul did, does it dawn on us that our one hope is the Divine Presence, or as some would say, our Higher Power.
It’s then that we discover that at the core we aren’t wretched! We are the much-loved children of God, and the Holy Spirit can’t wait to start our internal renovations. And when that happens, it’s a beautiful sight to see. It’s almost like being born again! In fact, Jesus would say that’s exactly what it is!
Thought for the Day: When have I felt like a wretched person?
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