On the Treadmill

"When I want to do good, evil is right 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 in my members. What a wretched man I am!" Rom 7:21-24

The most significant obstacle in my walk with God is the Enemy's effort keep me in the same place on the spiritual growth curve. Because of sin and its strong appeal to my flesh, I find myself losing energy in a continuous spiral of "Sin-Confession-Repentance-Sin." How often I find myself re plowing the same ground as if I am on a treadmill, spending lots of energy but not moving forward.

Paul gets to the root of the problem, I believe, in his letter to the Romans. Even Paul laments that while his inner being delights in pleasing God by obeying his law, other members of his body are equally at work opposing the law. The "waging of war" Paul says, makes him a "prisoner of sin" in his own body. Paul gives us hope of rescue from the treadmill through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, cleansing us completely of our sins, freeing us from the sin that continually keeps us pinned down.

While, I am thankful and joyful that Jesus has saved me from my sinful nature, I pray in earnest for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit such that my progress forward with God will not be slowed by "the Treadmill.'' We should all pray for less repetition of our old ways and more love within our hearts for God and his law.

My Prayer: Father, forgive me for the sin of repetitious sin. Forgive me for staying on the treadmill, and not moving ahead with you on a spiritual growth curve that will make me more like Jesus and less like myself. I love you Father and I thank you so much for the gift of your Son that would rescue us from the cycle of sin, confession, repentance and repeated sin. Move us along the path toward perfection through your Son Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus name I pray, Amen!