THURSDAY 8 DECEMBER - JESUS IS WORKING IN YOU EVEN WHEN YOU'RE STRESSED

Read Colossians 1:24-29. Do you ever sympathise with Paul writing in Romans 7? He tells his readers that as a follower of Christ he wants to do what is right, but he doesn’t do it.

He goes on to say he wants to do what is good, but he doesn’t. And he doesn’t want to do what is wrong, but he does it anyway. Does that sound familiar?

Why are we often caught up in sin like this? As Paul says, “it is sin living in me that does it” (Romans 7:17). Our sinful nature is such that under the right circumstances, we will do the wrong thing, even if we don’t want to. Usually, those circumstances involve a degree of stress. Stress often shows us up for who we really are.

We cannot become more like Christ in our own strength. Years of failed resolutions, will power and good intentions testify to that! What’s the answer? The answer is that not only does Jesus do a work for us in coming to earth and then going to a cross to die on our behalf, but he does a work in us. This is the secret, Paul says, Christ lives in you. His Holy Spirit inhabits us so that Christ lives in and through us.

Jesus comes not only to save us, but to change us. We can be transformed because of our relationship with Christ. How? By influencing the choices we make. He helps us makes the right choices so we become more like him.

THINK IT OVER

Think about the following:

How would you describe yourself when under stress? Does this differ from who you really want to be?