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I have a confession to make. At nearly 43 years of age, I still like to watch cartoons. And while I console myself with the knowledge that movie and T.V. companies market cartoons to appeal to kids and adults these days, I'm sure there's some sort of "I don't want to grow up, I'm a Toys R' Us kid" mentality in me that my wife wishes I would address.
As a kid, local semi-celebrities like Cowboy Bob, Janie, and Peggy would show cartoons in the morning along with afternoon programming to appeal to kids after school. My mom had to constantly monitor me and my brother to make sure we were getting our homework done before watching any T.V. And while we may have convinced her we had on many occasions, our claims of scholastic achievement were quickly refuted with the arrival of report cards.
There were two things I hated most in school: the end of summer vacation and report cards. It was so bad for my brother one time that he had a friend doctor his report card with one of those new home computers which were just beginning to become popular; this, in an effort to avoid the punishment which always came with our report cards. But, as things usually went when we tried our hand at deception, Mom received an unexpected call from school which blew the lid off the whole thing.
So... cartoons, the bane of my scholastic endeavors, responsible for killing any chances I had of making it into Harvard, Ivy Tech (not to be confused with the aforementioned Ivy League school) or Clown College, still dog me to this day. But now, in a stroke of what must be divine providence (okay, God's mercy) I have found inspiration for this BLOG in the words of one of these animated characters who has contributed to my ruin.
This particular character has had a crisis of identity which has lead him to turn from his evil ways. But in trying to apologize for his past mistakes, he continually stumbles over his good intentions. At one point he is so frustrated with himself that he cries out, "why am I so bad at being good?" This is the cry of many.
The Apostle Paul paints a picture of a person in Romans chapter 7 who wants to do what is right, but finds himself powerless to do so; "I can anticipate the response that is coming: 'I know that all God's commands are spiritual, but I'm not. Isn't this also your experience?' Yes. I'm full of myself-after all, I've spent a long time in sin's prison. What I don't understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can't be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God's command is necessary. But I need something more! For I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don't have what it takes" (vv. 14-18, The Message).
Paul is illustrating that even with the best of intentions, we don't have what it takes without the Spirit of God working in us through faith in Christ. Sure, even after we come to Christ there is still a daily choice we have to make to do things God's way (see Romans 12:2), but now we have God's Spirit which enables us to make that right choice.
Since the beginning of this year, Pastor Perry has shared messages which, if followed, God's Word guarantees will enable us to walk free and in victory. In his "Rule of 5" series, we were shown how committing to the 5 most important things that position us for success "not all day, but every day," will do just that, lead to success. And in his Confessions series, we saw how, while we are getting forgiven by confessing to God (1 John 1:9) we're not getting healed because we're not confessing to people that God has us in accountable relationships with (James 5:16). That is why we stay stuck in our sin cycles.
It sounds easy, but we have to do the hardest thing of all in this... DO IT! If we'll just do it, we won't have to ask anymore why we're so bad at being good. So the question is; have I identified what the 5 most important areas are for me to address every day, or am I allowing an undisciplined approach to keep me from making this a priority which keeps me in bondage? And, am I allowing the weight of my trials and struggles to isolate me, which allows the secrecy to keep me bound? The choice is ours, and it's so easy if we'll just wake up and commit.
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perry meade
