Eric
was struggling with an addiction, and he knew it. His friends and family
members encouraged him to stop. He agreed that it would be best for his health
and relationships, but he felt helpless. When others told him how they had quit
their bad habits, he replied, “I’m happy for you, but I can’t seem to stop! I
wish I had never been tempted in the first place. I want God to take the desire
away right now.”
Immediate
deliverance may happen for some, but most face a daily battle. While we don’t
always understand why the temptation doesn’t go away, we can turn to God on
whatever path we find ourselves. And perhaps that is the most important part of
our struggle. We learn to exchange our futile efforts to change for complete
dependence on God.
Jesus
was tempted also, just as we are, so He understands what we’re feeling (Mark
1:13). He sympathizes with our struggles (Heb. 4:15), and we can “come boldly
to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time
of need” (v.16). He also uses others, including trained professionals, to lean
on along the way.
Whatever battles we may be facing today, we
know this – God loves us much more than we can imagine, and He is faithful to
come to our assistance. (RBC)
