Focus

Experience silence in the midst of your busy day. Take some time to relax into a time to be with God.

---

Read

Romans 7:14-25 (NRSV)

For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin. I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me.

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin.

---

Reflect

How often do you struggle with right and wrong? You know the right thing to do but really want to do the “other” thing. Temptations of the world surround us on a daily basis. We are constantly tempted by our very nature of being human. We want what we want and tend to do what it takes to fulfill our desires.

As Christians, we can identify with Paul’s struggle. We often state what our intentions are, but our outcome may be totally different. In other words, we want to live a good and righteous life, but sin (our humanness) gets in the way of walking the path of righteousness.

Daily we struggle with right and wrong, good and bad, godly and otherwise. Let us start anew each day, attempting to live according to God’s Word and not our own desires.

---

Pray

All-knowing God, I struggle every day. I struggle with making the right choices to serve you. Please give me the wisdom, the strength, and the stamina to choose you over the earthly temptations that surround me. I want to walk hand-in-hand with you, God. In Christ’s name, Amen.

Go with God.