Day 4: Losing Control

And I build it all up just to watch it fall down

And I’m digging all up when I’ve buried underground

We all deal with temptations. Anyone who claims they are never tempted is lying to themselves. Sometimes we feel we’ve finally conquered our greatest temptations, only to find ourselves right back where we started… or worse. We build up our strengths, only to fall back hard on our weaknesses. Our intentions are good; we truly desire to be the children God created us to be, but the temptations overtake us once again, causing us to lose control of ourselves. “For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate I do” (Romans 7:15 NIV).

It can be really disappointing to slip back into the behaviors and addictions we thought we had conquered. Dangerously, it can cause us to draw deeper into our pain. Returning to the things we knew were bad for us is described as: “'A dog returns to its vomit,' and, 'A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud” (2 Peter 2:22 NIV). Although it’s sometimes difficult to admit, we need a Savior to help us get out of this terrible cycle. 

Having a foundation built on Jesus allows us to weather storms and have something to cling to when temptations try to push us down into the pit. When we are struggling, Jesus helps us find firm footing to start climbing back out. Matthew 7:24-25 (NLT) says, “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on a solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on the bedrock.” 

This doesn’t necessarily mean temptations won’t come anymore or that we’re automatically going to be able to weather every storm perfectly. What’s amazing is when we trust Jesus’ teachings and come to Him when life gets difficult, we’re not alone in what we’re going through. We have Jesus to guide, teach, and comfort us. We don’t need to rely only on our own strength anymore. We have support, no matter what. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1 NIV).