Daily Devotional – I’m Normal.™ I AM Ministries
“To promote Godly living in a culture committed to destroying it”
Monday, August 5, 2013
What’s Wrong with Me?
Have you ever caught yourself yielding to some sin or temptation, and after you committed the sin, you said to yourself, “What’s wrong with me?” Who among us has not done, said or thought something absolutely wrong, and as soon as the we did it, said it or thought it, we felt stuck with conviction and guilt and we began tormenting ourselves with questions such as, “Where did that come from?”, How could I do that?”, Why in the world did I say that?”, or “How could I think such unholy thoughts?”
If you’ve found yourself in this type of situation, you are not alone. Who among us has not done something so stupid, and so wrong, that when we look in the mirror afterwards we said, “Why do I sin when I don’t want to?” “Didn’t becoming a Christian absolve me from these sinful behaviors?”
The harsh reality is even the most sincere Christian still has to deal with the lingering effects of sin in his or her life. Even the most dedicated Christian still has to struggle against temptation and sometimes we cave, fall, stumble, or sin. Every one of us is susceptible to sin and every one of us still sins. It can be very frustrating, even to devout believers. Likewise, great theologians have struggled with this very issue. Martin Luther said, “When I became a Christian I thought I had drowned the old man in me, but I found the rascal could swim!”
If you have committed your life to Jesus Christ, sin is no longer something that’s in your heart to do. You don’t plan to sin and you desire not to sin. Sin is not something you premeditate or plan. Nevertheless, sin often sneaks up on us and, in a weak moment when we let our guard down, Wham! Before we know it, something ugly and repulsive comes out of us that is totally contrary to who we are in Christ.
Every one of us is fallible and susceptible to sin and every one of us sins, even our spiritual leaders. Herein lies a good news-bad news lesson for us all. The Bad news is every one of us wrestles against sin. Sometimes the battle is fierce, and sometimes we lose the battle and sin wins. The Good news is we are not alone. Even the Apostle Paul wrestled with the same sin quandary. Moreover, even Paul admitted how, although he wanted to constantly defeat sin, sometimes sin defeated him.
In Romans, Paul laments the struggle he faces with sin. “For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate I do. When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.” (Romans 7:15, 21, 25). Paul has obviously been asking himself that same haunting question all committed Christians ask: What’s wrong with me?
Paul represents arguably the pinnacle of Christian living, a person who is totally devoted to God. He verbalizes how the more we measure ourselves against God’s standards of righteousness, the more we understand how we fall short. His experience has revealed how the closer he came to God, the more he realized the magnitude and pervasiveness of his sin. By seeing God more clearly, his sin became ever more obvious. His level of spiritual insight, brokenness, contrition, and humility are marks of a spiritual and mature believer, who before God has no trust in his own goodness and achievements.
Paul has identified what is wrong with us- none of us is good. We are fallen sons of Adam who will be afflicted until we are perfected in Heaven through Jesus Christ. Jesus told us, “There is only One who is good”, and He was referring to Himself (Matthew 19:17). Paul reiterates Jesus’ point in Romans 3, “There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who does good, not even one.” (v. 10, 12). The Good News is the more we mourn our sin (Matthew 5:4), the more we know we have made spiritual progress
It is normal to question in mournful lament, “What’s wrong with me?” The closer you get to God, the more pressing the issue will become. The world operates exactly the opposite way, telling us “I’m OK, you’re OK.” We are not OK. Our perfection comes only through Jesus Christ, the only true Way, and then only after we leave this world. What’s wrong with us is we are sinners to the core. Praise Jesus for His willingness to take us, the rotten apples/sons of Adam, and make us shine perfectly enough to stand before His Holy Father in Heaven!
In His love and service,
Jeff Myers
A servant of Jesus Christ
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