Overcoming Habitual SinSýnishorn

Why We Do What We Don’t Want to Do

Icebergs can serve as good metaphors for the complexity of habitual sin and unwanted behaviors. You typically only see a fraction of an iceberg’s actual mass when you look on the surface, but when you look underneath, you’re likely to see something many times the size of the mass that’s visible above water. Something similar happens with our habitual sin and undesired behaviors. What looks like nothing more than a porn addiction, an unhealthy relationship with food, or a wrong mindset is actually just “the tip of the iceberg.” Beneath each sin and unwanted behavior is a deeper desire waiting to be met.

Our unwanted behaviors aren’t random; they’re signals to be answered. They point to deeper desires that are needing to be met. What Satan does is he uses our legitimate longings and desires as opportunities to lead us to sin. In Matthew 4 we read about the time Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness. Jesus had been fasting for forty days and forty nights, and Matthew tells us that He was very hungry. The enemy used Jesus's natural hunger for food as an opportunity for temptation. Of course, Jesus stood against the devil's schemes, and through His example, we can see how the enemy uses needs and desires to tempt us. We also see that there is a way to stand against these temptations when they come.

Maybe you’ve never noticed the connection between your unmet desires and your unwanted behaviors. Maybe now you're beginning to see that you turn to porn to find pseudo-acceptance or love when you feel rejected or inadequate. Perhaps you're noticing that you perform for the approval of others when you feel unwanted or unknown. Hardwired in you are good and right desires like the desire to be loved or to feel known. Many of us have been wounded by others in the past leading to deep, unfulfilled desires and longings. Sin distorts those desires and offers us counterfeit solutions to fulfilling them. The only way your God-given desires can truly be satisfied is through God and healthy relationships with others. Thankfully, He has given us His Son, His Spirit, and His Word to guide and empower us to the way of life, fulfilment, and relationship.

To help you discern the unmet desires that underlie your habitual sin, ask yourself these questions: 1) What habitual sin or unwanted behavior am I struggling with? 2) What unmet desires lead me to this sin or behavior? 3) What is one way I can experience fulfilment through my relationship with God and others today?

Thought of the Day: There is something underneath the surface of my habitual sin. Today, I will examine my heart and my desires and submit them to God. I will seek His will and His way to life, and I know that in Him, I will be truly satisfied.