August 30, 2022 – Romans 7:19, The Funny Shape of Faith

“I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do.” Romans 7:19

“Even Paul, the great leader and teacher, struggled with sin and evil. Sometimes he even knew what was right and wanted to do it-and still did what was wrong. We know what Paul is talking about, don’t we? And to make things more complicated, sometimes evil is hidden or it looks … not so bad, really. That’s when an evil detector would really come in handy, right? Well, not so fast. Maybe there’s something better out there. God has the power not only to detect evil, but to deliver us when we’re in the middle of it. That makes an evil detector as obsolete as a cassette tape.”  (Laurie Hanson. The Funny Shape of Faith: Devotions for the Rest of Us (Kindle Locations 229-232). Kindle Edition.)

Evil Wrapped in a Donut

Have you had this struggle. You pass a bakery and the smell of the wonderful baked goods compels you to walk in to look at the items on the shelves. You know the items are really not good for your health but they taste so good. And to make things worse you aren’t even hungry. But you soon find yourself picking out a donut or cruller and paying for it munching on it before you hit the exit.

Paul truly understood the human condition — “I do not do (what) I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do.” Okay, so it may not be evil to eat the occasional donut, but when it comes to the thoughts and actions we struggle to control, we often find ourselves doing just what it is we do not want to do.

G-d understands the human condition as well. G-d knows us so intimately we do not need to try to fool G-d. As I said in the last devotion, G-d wants a penitent heart from us – not false promises. We cannot hide our negative thoughts and actions from G-d – so instead of deluding ourselves, we should strive to do more good than evil – to offer more love than hate.

Let us pray,

Lord Christ, you know me so intimately – and love me unconditionally. Thank you for loving me and thank for rescuing me from sin and evil. Amen.

Pastor Dave