“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. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is 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.” (Romans 7:15-20 NIV)

Sometimes when I read Paul’s scripture above I think, why’s he messing with me? I’m not good at riddles. Or is my learning disability kicking in again because I can’t figure out what he’s trying to say.

But there’s a lot of truth here. We say one thing but we do another. We mean well but we keep falling back to our default mindset and behaviors. The more you grow in your faith, the more you learn that there is no ultimate escape. Sin dwells so deep within us that we never fully escape it. In fact, it may only get harder at times. Being aware and accepting this is what helps us awaken from it. Then constantly and consistently guarding up with #TRUTH is what helps us to continually fight against it.

See that’s one thing we as motivational speakers/coaches can’t leave out. We may do a phenomenal job with sharing great insight and wisdom about life, but we can’t leave people hanging and holding onto fluff. Without the importance of understanding that true power does not come from within, it comes from God, the change we may help create becomes temporary not everlasting.

I love reading about Paul’s drastic life change. He went from killing Christians to being the most powerful promoter of the faith, next to Jesus. Did he do it on his own accord? No. It was Divine Intervention the flipped his world upside down on his trip to Damascus.

And what kept that change going for him? Here’s what I just read and I love it…..

In Paul, A Man of Grace and Grit, Charles Swindoll writes, “The man, who tormented and killed the saints of God, understood and explained grace better than any of his contemporaries. Why? Because he never got over his own gratitude as a recipient of it.”

Change is hard. But maybe if like Paul we never get over the gratitude of what we received, it will become a little bit easier, and we’ll stay motivated to keep striving for it.

#ItsNotAboutUs

Coach Theo