What a wretched person I am!
These words of anguish uttered by the apostle Paul epitomised the ongoing inner struggle between his love for Gods law and the law of sin (Romans 7:21-25). He delighted in Gods law and wanted to obey Jesus with every fibre of his being, yet was exasperated by the way in which he allowed himself to be held to ransom by sin.
I am sure you also wrestle with overwhelming feelings of frustration and distress on the occasions when you have let the Lord down and sinned, yet again. Lets take it a step further and consider the gut wrenching moments when you suffered from serious setbacks. Perhaps you made some terrible mistakes, errors of judgement or wrong choices which resulted in devastating consequences for you and your family. So much so that it seemed like your life was falling apart and you became mesmerised by feelings of rejection, desperation and even despair with words such as what a wretched person I am, crying out from the very depth of your soul.
How do you deal with failure and disappointment when you have messed up big time? Besides calling on close family and friends for help, perhaps you tend to search for advice and encouragement from any number of the inspirational books available in the marketplace. One of the recurring themes in this genre of literature focuses on a positive mental attitude as a key factor to rising above adversity and failure. And we do appreciate the mentoring role hundreds of well renowned authors fulfil in this regard.
Youre free
Yet, is positive thinking really the answer? Paul continues his inner dialogue in the book of Romans by asking the question, Who will rescue me from this body of death? He emphatically responds, Thanks be to God who delivers me through Jesus our Lord (Romans 7:25).
Paul then begins to unveil the awe-inspiring and astounding truth of Gods love for each one of us in Romans chapter eight. Lets start with Romans 8:1-2 Therefore there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. Christ has set you free from the law of sin and wraps his arms around you with a depth of love, warmth and forgiveness that staggers the imagination.
The truth of Christs precious gift to you continues to unfold in Romans 8:14-18 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship… The Spirit himself testifies with our Spirit that we are Gods children. Now if we are Gods children then we are heirs heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Wow! This is breathtaking! You are an adopted son or daughter in Christ, heirs to share in his glorious kingdom, and above all, enjoy the privilege of an intimate relationship with the Triune God, now and for eternity.
Here Paul opens our minds to grasp the bigger picture. Understanding the magnitude of our future destiny in Christ endows us with the enduring faith and courage to face trying circumstances in the present. Our source of strength lies in the living God and indwelling presence of Jesus through the Holy Spirit. As we reflect on the powerful verses of Romans chapter eight we cannot help but become very aware of the limitations of positive thinking, apart from a very personal loving God who is intimately involved in our lives. Jesus says in John 15:5 Apart from me you can do nothing. Paul encourages us with these consoling words, If God is for us who can be against us. (Romans 8:31) Yet, the power of positive thinking is mentioned nowhere in these passages of scripture.
Failure is not a life sentence
An important step in weathering failure is to understand that your failure does not make you a failure. God does not see you as a failure. You may have failed at doing something but this is not a lifetime sentence. As world renowned leadership expert and author, John Maxwell, says, See failure as a momentary event, not a lifetime epidemic. C. S. Lewis adds, Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement. And Proverbs 24:16 urges us to never give up, For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again.
Romans 8:28 gives an amazing declaration of Gods proactive involvement in every facet of our lives, And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
The original Greek amplifies this as meaning God working together with us in all situations. God takes the events in your life, good and bad, and weaves them together to bring out the very best in you. He has a vested interest in your future and will never let you go. Notice Philippians 1: 6 Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. This knowledge in itself gives us the assurance that the Lord is with us in the midst of our darkest moments. Micah 7:8 says, Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.
To quote from a recent Speaking of Life presentation by Joseph Tkach, President of Grace Communion International: God is constantly reshaping us. Our failures dont disgust him or make him want to turn away. No matter what kind of mess we make of our lives, the Master Potter can always take our clay, remould it and ultimately make us into a beautiful vessel.
Paul vividly describes the pinnacle of Gods love in Romans 8:35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?… Now in all things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death or life, neither angel nor demon, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God, that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Indeed, the strength, and depth and majesty of Gods loving embrace is limitless, beyond words and beyond positive thinking.
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