“Oops, I did it again.” In May of 2000 Britney Spears released a song that went straight to the top of the Billboard Charts. Her catchy tune could be heard on every pop radio station across the nation several times a day. Almost 21 years later I can still hear the popular tune playing in my head just like way back then.
I wish someone would write a Christian version of this song because I still find myself singing the “Oops I did it again” lyrics from time to time.
The struggles we have today are the same types of struggles that humankind has been dealing with since Adam and Eve had their first “Oops” moment.
In the Book of Romans Paul wrote, “For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate… For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing” (Romans 7:15, 18b-19).”
I do not know about you, but for me, it is comforting to know that Paul struggled with getting it right just like we do today.
Why do we keep doing the things that we hate?
We have tried to stop on our own so many times, yet we continue to find ourselves at that same ole broken down place we just left.
I wonder how many times the lady caught in adultery said to herself “this is the last time”.
How many times did the thief that hung on the cross next to Jesus say to himself “after this I am not stealing another thing”?
How many times does an alcoholic wake up with a hangover and swears they will never touch another drop of alcohol just to do it again two days later?
We have all been there. It might be overeating or taking those pain pills we conned the doctor out of, maybe its something we know we really should not be watching on TV or maybe it is something we know we should not be repeating. We all have those “Oops, I did it again” moments.
So, how we change our behavior?
We try meditation, therapy, fasting, and any other thing we can think of, yet we keep going around in circles not ever really being changed at all.
Maybe the key to stop the madness is not how much we know but in Who we know.
I would like to speak to someone out there who is like me, you have tried to fix things by yourself. You have tried to take matters into your own hands. You have tried to do better by your own strength. You have tried everything to get free from the struggles that hold you hostage.
In 1 John 4:4, NIV tells us ,”You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”
You have overcome because Who is in you, not because of what you know or how hard you have tried to do better, but the reason (the cause) for us to overcome is because of Jesus Christ. Jesus has already overcome every obstacle we could imagine, since He is in you, child of God, you have overcome. Now, that is what I call good news!
Galatians 5:1 goes on to tell us, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.”
We can refuse to be entangled again into bondage. Jesus gave us the power to do that! How cool is this?
Because of what Jesus overcame we can say, “Nope, I’m not doing it again” and exercise our authority in Him to not do it again.
My hope is that you will be as pumped about learning this as I have been. We do not have to stay stuck any longer. We can shake some of those chains off ourselves today!
Go, be free, child of God!
