WWLD?

Lisa McCandless was perfection in my eyes.  Everyone in 4th grade loved her, even our quick-tempered teacher.  Everyone.  I was her not-so-popular classmate and soon decided to study Lisa to learn her tricks.  She had long straight hair that was always perfectly in place and wore fashionable clothes that never got wrinkled and her knees never had big scabs from the latest bike wipeout.  But more than that, I studied the way she interacted with my classmates. Then I discovered it.  She was quiet. She never expressed her thoughts to anyone. When, or if, she had a critical thought, it never crossed her lips.  Knowing this must be the key, I set out to be like Lisa.  I had a plan and I was determined.  I tried like I never tried before to keep my thoughts to myself until I thought I would explode!  It took about a week, but explode I did!  I gave up.  I could never be that person.  I had no self control and was thoroughly discouraged to the point of tears.  This was my first experience with self-help.  And all others since then have ended in much the same way.

One of the first scriptures to resonate with me was this one from the letter of Paul to the church at Rome:

Romans 7:15-20 (NIV) I do not understand what I do.  For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.  And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.  As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me, that is, in my sinful nature.  For I have the desire to do good, but I cannot carry it out.  For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing.  Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 

And then in Romans 7:25b So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's Law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.  

Fast forward 50 years: Last night I was reading a top-rated, very popular self-help book by a Christian author and was very disappointed that this was a point that the author glossed over.  She forgot that on our own, we can never win over our own impulses.  She made it sound like it was only a matter of grit, determination and a good counselor.  I have learned in my life that some may make it much further than I did with my Lisa imitation, but in time we all will fail at overcoming our chains.

What a downer! So are we hopeless?

The answer is a resounding NO!  Just keep reading where I left off in Romans.

Romans 8:2 (NIV) because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

That's right. God knew this and sent a solution to our life of slavery to the sin in ourselves.  Not only this but he sent help to live in us, guiding us and giving us power to conquer these chains.

Romans 8:5-6 (NIV) explains the gift he left for us like this:

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.  The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.  

What a beautiful rescue.  What a beautiful God.  He loves us so much.  Am I able to control my thoughts and mouth now?  Well, only when I submit to the control and power of the Holy Spirit living in me.  Anyone who knows me will tell you it is not a way of life yet.  Continual living according to the Spirit is a goal.  Some moments I submit, some moments I grovel in my fleshly mindset, imitating the latest 'Lisa'.  It is a comfort to know that there is a source of victory over my selfish ways and I am a work in progress.

If you want to know more about this life of peace, just keep reading where I left off in Romans.

Susan