Much more than resolutions

Jason looked up from the file he had been working on for the past two hours. His head was heavy, and he was feeling seriously tired. Yet, he had a lot of work to do before attending the next board meeting. He had the urge to get drunk and wasted as his usual habit was! Maybe he should call Jade to ask if he was keen to meet at their usual bar. Just then, his eyes caught a pink note posted on the edge of his computer, on which was scribbled, “no more drinking!”. Agrrrrh! how could he forget so soon?!

It’s barely three weeks now that he has been living alone. His wife, Janice, left with the kids to temporarily stay in her parents’ apartment. Jason had come home drunk one night and for the third time, hit Janice over a little disagreement. The last two times it happened, Jason had apologised and promised to never hit her again. Janice had been very forgiving. This time, she couldn’t trust him to keep his promises. She wasn’t sure how best to handle the situation either. At Jason’s workplace, he hasn’t been as productive as he was required to be. He loses concentration and gets tired easily. Now, he was at risk of losing his job, his home and all he had worked for.

But would that pink note save him if he strictly adhered to its instructions – “no more drinking?”

Romans 7:15-24 describes the struggle we all face when we decide to be a good person.

“For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do…But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me… For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice…For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members…”

Good intentions cannot deal with the root of this struggle. The root is sin, and only the power in the blood of Jesus is strong enough to deal with it (1 John 1:7). “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:9, 10).

What sinful habit are you struggling with today? You need to take responsibility, not just make resolutions – accept you need help and that only Jesus can help you. Look, he already made a way out for you! You don’t have to be a slave to sin, you can stay on top and say “no”! to sin. John 8:34, 36 says “Jesus answered them, “most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin…therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed”.

Do away with your pink paper reminder today and ask Jesus to set you free. He will definitely set you free only if you ask Him.