THURSDAY - Devotional

READ: Romans 7:14-20

(Answer the question/s below in your app notes)

• When do you find it difficult to choose to honor God through obedience?

In 2015, I spent a year living in France. It was full of tourist sightings, buttery baguettes, and lots and lots of education. I was there primarily for school, but there were all sorts of cultural lessons that only living in France could’ve taught me. I learned which greeting was appropriate for each region of France: one kiss on the cheek, a kiss on both sides, or no kiss and a simple nod.

I also learned what people actually say in everyday language as opposed to the formal expression that I’d find in a textbook. One of these, for example, was the phrase “I don’t know.” In French, the formal way to say this sentiment is “Je ne sais pas,” but most French people will say a shortened amalgamation of “Chais pas.”

And living in another country for a year, I learned this phrase really, really well. Paul writes a version of “Chais pas” in Romans in reference to his actions: “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.”

Maybe you can relate to this sentiment: not wanting to sin, yet finding ourselves in sinful situations. Why do we do this? The good news is, it’s not an original experience. The apostle Paul, one of the most godly men in all of history, struggled with this same thing! And if Paul wrestled with it, we can take heart knowing that God understands our struggle and meets us in the messiness of life. Living in France taught me the nuances of language, culture, and patience, but Paul reminds me that living faithfully, even when we stumble, requires grace, honesty, and reliance on God. We don’t have to figure it out alone.