Theme of the Week: Qualified to Coach
Bible Verse: “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” Romans 7:24
Scripture Reading: Romans 8:31-39
Yesterday we looked at two identity crushers: Significant Others and Satan. Today we will consider two others: Sin and Self.
Sin
When we wrestle with our identity, and we sin, it is a reminder to us we are unworthy. We say something like this to ourselves: “How can I be God’s son if I keep doing…”
It’s important to understand that sinning is our responsibility. But this is what happens when we do sin: What we believe about ourselves, or Satan, or both, whisper the word “unworthy” in our ear. And since we just sinned, we agree quickly with those whispers.
This can become a vicious cycle. We sin, we hear the whispers, we agree, we fall into sin more readily, and on and on it goes. Throughout this cycle, the sense of being God’s son is quietly dying within us.
Self
What I am about to say will likely come as a surprise to most men: We can be stubborn and proud.
I know – this is no surprise! The unfortunate part of this is our unwillingness to believe we are broken and actually need the help of “Someone” else. We were raised to be independent and strong. We may be actually dying inside, but we will prove our worth to the world.
That’s a challenge in itself. But the bigger challenge is when we as believers do the same with God. We are going to prove to God we can live this Christian life independently and strong. We will show him we are sons he can approve of.
I was a committed (driven) man when it came to my devotions and church and my job as a pastor. I was going to show God I was good enough for his love. That’s pride. Yes, it came out of a faulty understanding of my relationship with him. But it was pride in self.
I have shared these identity crushers not to discourage us but rather for us to understand what we are dealing with. It’s hard to fight a battle when we do not understand who we are or who we are fighting.
Please close off your time today by re-reading the passage above (Romans 8:31-39). Be encouraged as you see who you can be and the strength of God’s love for you.
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