This devotional first appeared in https://www.islandsadventist.org
Scripture: For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. . . 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. . . 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God–through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. Romans 7:15-25 (NKJV)
Observation: O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?—The apostle speaks of the “body” here with reference to “the law of sin” which he had said was “in his members,” but merely as the instrument by which the sin of the heart finds vent in action, and as itself the seat of the lower appetites (see on Ro 6:6, and Ro 7:5); and he calls it “the body of this death,” as feeling, at the moment when he wrote, the horrors of that death (Ro 6:21, and Ro 7:5) into which it dragged him down. But the language is not that of a sinner newly awakened to the sight of his lost state; it is the cry of a living but agonized believer, weighed down under a burden which is not himself, but which he longs to shake off from his renewed self. Nor does the question imply ignorance of the way of relief at the time referred to. It was designed only to prepare the way for that outburst of thankfulness for the divinely provided remedy which immediately follows. [Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.]
Application: Paul’s experience is one that probably all of us have been able to identify with at some point or another. We all struggle with different areas in our lives. We have been able to win some battles, but we all still struggle with something or another. For some it may controlling our temper. For others what and how much we eat. Some struggle with addictions, their use, or misuse, of the tongue, or disciplining themselves at work or at home.
Husbands and wives at times struggle with how they behave toward one another. They love each other, but they battle for supremacy, for control in the relationship and often are unkind, if not rude or abusive, toward one another. They don’t like doing it, they reproach themselves for their bad behavior, it saddens them, and yet they continue to do it. When something is done enough times it becomes a habit, and the longer a habit is repeated the more entrenched it becomes and the harder it is to overcome. In marriage, those habits that cause pain – emotionally, physically, or spiritually – to our spouse will eventually damage our relationship, in some cases irreparably.
Obviously, one thing you can do is to work on stopping bad behaviors or habits and establishing new ones. The brain has the capacity of building new pathways, new and healthier behaviors. For instance, if you smoke, the habit of reaching for a cigarette 20-40 times a day is strengthened with every new cigarette you smoke. In order to break that habit, you will need to establish a new one – maybe doodle on a piece of paper, or chew gum, or take a shower – until the new habit is stronger than the old one. If you have a habit that is hurting your relationship, establish a new pattern, a new and healthier habit, until the old pattern gets weaker and the new pattern gets stronger.
Of course, we must not forget the last part of today’s verses. We can try to make changes in our attitude and behavior, in our words and in our actions, and we may be successful up to a certain point. But ultimate and lasting victory can only be achieved through Jesus Christ. As we surrender our will to Him, as we contemplate His life, little by little we are changed to resemble Him more and us less. Serving Him is establishing a new pattern for our lives, a better way of living, a healthier way of life.
A Prayer You May Say: Father God, help me to overcome the bad habits that are destroying me and the relationships with the people around me, and instead help me to establish new patterns and a new lifestyle that promotes health, happiness, and wholeness in us.
Used by permission of Adventist Family Ministries, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.
