Romans Part 3 - LIFEಮಾದರಿ

The Struggle is Real

In these seven verses, Paul has a vulnerable moment with his readers. The great apostle Paul, the man who wrote half the New Testament, the guy who was once Saul, but then, on the road to Damascus. encountered Jesus himself and experienced the life-changing power of the grace of Jesus in his life, Paul, The Rockstar of the Apostles,

was human, just like me...

“I do not understand what I do, for what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate I do.” -- vs. 15

Can you feel the struggle here? There is something powerful in this honest transparency; the author of this letter truly believed what he wrote.

The struggle is real.

Last year, I had the opportunity to join our Celebrate Recovery book study. One of the things I love about our weekly meetings is the culture of honest transparency. Every week, we introduce ourselves and talk very frankly about whatever it is we are struggling with; we don't pretend like we have everything figured out. I found this refreshing and life-giving. It can be easy for people like me, who grew up in the Church, to get really good at pretending we have everything figured out. But, when we live like this, we miss out!

In Celebrate Recovery, we name our sins, our struggles; then we confess our faith in Jesus as our Savior and Redeemer. He is the higher power, the object of our faith, the one who truly does change everything.

I want to encourage you, as you read today's verses, join Paul in being honest about the struggle. When you are prompted to journal or write a comment, take a step and confess your struggle by actually articulating the struggle in writing

I'll start, “ I don't understand why I am so selfish, I don't want to be, I want to put my wife and kids before myself, but then I find myself putting my own preferences first! Help me, Jesus! ”

-Logan Beardsley