As a young teenager, one of my sons struggled with a particularly besetting sin. What he was doing was wrong. He knew it was wrong, and he wanted to change. But no matter how hard he tried, in a moment of weakness my son would find himself doing the very thing he promised himself and God he would never do.
I tried in multiple ways to help him. I had him memorize verses. I grounded him. I spent countless hours talking and counseling with him, but he continued to live that painful cycle of failure, guilt, remorse, resolve to do better, and then failure yet again.
Perhaps you can relate to his struggle, for even the apostle Paul admitted in Romans 7:18-19 that he faced a similar frustration when he wrote, "For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do-this I keep on doing."
Then I realized that I had failed to teach my son one of the most important lessons of spiritual victory. Today I want to share that insight with you.
To illustrate my point, I took my son to a fitness center. After a few minutes of admiring several bodybuilders sporting bulging muscles and lifting massive weights, we found a bench, and I had my son start lifting some lightweights to get warmed up. Then I added just enough weight to the bar to make it possible for him to lift it, but not completely.
I set the bar in his outstretched arms, and he lowered it to his chest. But when he tried to lift it again, the bar stopped a few inches above his chest. His arms began to shake and beads of perspiration appeared on his forehead. I shouted encouragement. I told him to keep pushing. In response to my coaching he said through gritted teeth, "I'm trying, Dad. I'm trying!"
But the bar didn't move. "Try harder, Son. Try harder!" I yelled back. "I'm trying, Dad," he whimpered, and the bar began to fall to his neck. Just before it did, I lifted the bar off his chest and placed it back on the stand. Then I explained the object lesson that he had just experienced.
We glanced at a "hulk" nearby as he seemingly effortlessly raised 300 pounds on a bar. Then I told my son about the importance of going into training. I reminded him that these men couldn't lift the massive weights they were currently raising the first time they tried. Rather, by coming in regularly and gradually adding weight to the bar, they built up their strength and were able to conquer even greater challenges.
In that gym my son realized he would never conquer his sin just by trying harder. Instead he saw his need to begin a strict spiritual training program to build his spiritual muscle and gain the strength he needed to overcome sin.
Today I believe there are probably people reading this who have out-of-control tempers, tongues that are untamed, and a host of other sins that produce the same cycle of failure, guilt, and defeat that my son was experiencing.
And, like my son, they need to do more than just try harder to break that cycle, because getting and staying in shape spiritually isn't about trying; it's about training.
If you are among those who have struggled and tried hard for years, only to report failure, you are a perfect candidate for God's training program for your soul. So suit up and get started!
Turn to Ephesians 4:25-32, where the apostle Paul gives five specific areas for spiritual training:
- Personal Integrity-being completely honest with yourself and others
- Emotional Control-managing anger in a God-honoring way
- Financial Stewardship-working in a way that honors God, and giving generously to others
- Speech Patterns-getting control of your tongue
- Private Attitudes-being kind and forgiving. And start working out!
Although spiritual transformation won't occur overnight, I believe that with the Holy Spirit as your guide, as you progress through these five exercise stations, spiritual training will allow you to overcome a sharp tongue, curb lustful thoughts, bring a hot temper under control, develop a greater capacity for love, or conquer whatever sin is haunting you.
You will find yourself being able to do what was formerly impossible for you!
Excerpted from EdgeNotes, the bi-monthly newsletter of Living on the Edge; excerpts from the book The Miracle of Life Change. Used with permission. Copyright 2004 by Chip Ingram. All rights reserved.
About the author: Chip Ingram is President of Walk Thru the Bible in Atlanta, GA, and Teaching Pastor of Living on the Edge, a national radio ministry.
