But Why?
“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.” - Romans 7:15-17
If you want to turn your weakness, your Achilles heel so to speak, into a strength, there is a journey you must go on to do so. It starts with recognizing your weakness (go back and read the devotion from yesterday for more on that), but it goes beyond just recognition. It is not enough to just know what you are doing; you must also know why you do it.
In Genesis 12, we see where Abraham lies to Pharaoh about his wife, Sarah. Instead of telling Pharaoh that she was his wife, he lies and says it is his sister. Lying was a weakness Abraham had. But it is not enough to simply know that he had trouble with lying. Had Abraham been more aware of his weaknesses, he would have been able to recognize how a situation he finds himself in, in Genesis 20, triggered him in the same way he was triggered to lie to Pharaoh about his wife.
See, we must be aware not just of what we do, but why we do it. We need to be aware not just of our actions but the root cause that triggers our actions. Often times we address the symptoms of our challenges and not the root of it. When asked why he lied, Abraham confesses that his deed was rooted in fear. He tells Abimelech that he lied because he thought they would kill him if they knew she was his wife.
Fear was the driving force behind the first lie in chapter 12. He was afraid that the Egyptians would kill him. Fear and doubt seem to be a key struggle for Abraham. How many times did God have to remind him over the last eight chapters that He was going to bless Abraham?
What is at the root of your weakness? If you will dive deeper, it is often deeper than the sin you are committing or the struggle you are having. There is a root deeper. Spend some time looking inside at what that cause might be, and remember you can always ask the One who knows you better than any. It is great to know your weakness, what you are doing, but why are you doing it?
If you want to turn your weakness, your Achilles heel so to speak, into a strength, there is a journey you must go on to do so. It starts with recognizing your weakness (go back and read the devotion from yesterday for more on that), but it goes beyond just recognition. It is not enough to just know what you are doing; you must also know why you do it.
In Genesis 12, we see where Abraham lies to Pharaoh about his wife, Sarah. Instead of telling Pharaoh that she was his wife, he lies and says it is his sister. Lying was a weakness Abraham had. But it is not enough to simply know that he had trouble with lying. Had Abraham been more aware of his weaknesses, he would have been able to recognize how a situation he finds himself in, in Genesis 20, triggered him in the same way he was triggered to lie to Pharaoh about his wife.
See, we must be aware not just of what we do, but why we do it. We need to be aware not just of our actions but the root cause that triggers our actions. Often times we address the symptoms of our challenges and not the root of it. When asked why he lied, Abraham confesses that his deed was rooted in fear. He tells Abimelech that he lied because he thought they would kill him if they knew she was his wife.
Fear was the driving force behind the first lie in chapter 12. He was afraid that the Egyptians would kill him. Fear and doubt seem to be a key struggle for Abraham. How many times did God have to remind him over the last eight chapters that He was going to bless Abraham?
What is at the root of your weakness? If you will dive deeper, it is often deeper than the sin you are committing or the struggle you are having. There is a root deeper. Spend some time looking inside at what that cause might be, and remember you can always ask the One who knows you better than any. It is great to know your weakness, what you are doing, but why are you doing it?
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