Begin with two minutes of stillness and silence before God.

Romans 7. What a daunting and wordy piece of Scripture. Did anyone else feel like a ping-pong ball as you read it? I didn’t get an exact count, but I’m pretty sure the word “law” is used at least 547 times! Is the law good or bad? Does it bring death or life? Do we live by it or not?

Then, there is the inner conversation about what we do and why. Just in verse 15- “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate I do.” And this sort of angel versus devil on the shoulder continues through verse 20.

I’ll be honest. I was a little mentally exhausted after reading this so many times, trying to decipher and understand it. But as I read it a second, third, and then seventh time, it began to make sense on a more personal level.

I like to compare a lot of things to food because I love to eat. We like to eat mostly healthy at home, and as much as possible, I try to buy clean, natural, whole foods. But those who know me best know I love dessert. I’ve often joked that I only eat “real food” just to get to dessert. But in the last few years, as we have tried to clean up our eating, I’ve tried to cut way back on my sugar intake. But do I still love dessert? Absolutely.

So, to Paul’s back and forth of what we want to do versus what we should do versus what we actually do: I want to eat ice cream and cupcakes all the time, but I shouldn’t. I know how it makes me feel afterward, but it is so good in the moment. Once I eat it and feel terrible, because I will eat too much every time, I realize that eating healthy always makes me feel better. I know what I should do, but I don’t always do it. I let the love of dessert win so often and then regret it later.

Isn’t it the same with sin? We know what we should do, how we should live, but that isn’t always fun. So, often, we let our unspiritual flesh take over and give ourselves over to sin. And maybe it feels good in the moment, but afterward, we feel terrible knowing we have done the things we should hate, that we have missed the mark.

As Christians, we want to do what is right; to do the things and live the way God has called us to, but we often give in to the sinful nature that lives inside us. We do what we do not (or should not) want to do.

Whether you are a believer or not, there is good news in that we don’t have to check the boxes of the law to be loved by God. We just have to accept His free gift of salvation, putting to death our sinful nature and living in Him and resting in His forgiveness, even when we miss the mark.

Take two minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

• Use the S.O.A.P. Method to study God’s Word.
  
• SCRIPTURE: What stands out to you in today’s passage?
  
• OBSERVATION: What is this text saying? What is the context? How does it fit with the verses before and after it? Are there any commands, instructions, or promises? 
  
• APPLICATION: How can you apply this verse to your life? What does this mean today? What is God saying to you? 
  
• PRAYER: Respond to the passage in prayer. Ask God to help you apply this truth to your life and spend some time listening to what He may be telling you.