Law and Disorder: My Spiritual Identity Crisis

Today, I've been pondering Romans 7:7-8. It's funny how sometimes you can read a passage you've seen a hundred times before, and suddenly it hits you in a completely new way.

The whole concept of the law and its purpose has been turning over in my mind. I used to think that God gave us laws simply as a checklist of dos and don'ts. You know, like a cosmic rulebook for being a good person. But now I'm starting to see it differently.

It's like the law is this mirror that God holds up to us, not to make us feel bad, but to help us see ourselves clearly. Without it, we might never realize how much we need help. It's kind of like when you don't notice you have something stuck in your teeth until someone hands you a mirror!

I found myself laughing a bit when I thought about the command "love your neighbor as yourself." How many times have I tried and failed at that one? Even back in school, loving my classmates as much as myself seemed impossible. And don't even get me started on coveting - the more I try not to want things, the more I seem to want them!

It's humbling to realize that no matter how hard I try, I can't perfectly follow all these rules. But maybe that's the point. Maybe God knew we'd struggle and fail, and that's exactly why He gave us the law. Not to crush us under impossible standards, but to show us that we need something - or someone - beyond ourselves.

This whole reflection has got me thinking about grace in a new way. If the law shows us our need, then grace must be the answer to that need. I want to dig deeper into this idea. Maybe tomorrow I'll spend some time looking at how Paul connects this concept to the good news about Jesus.

For now, though, I'm sitting with this new perspective. It's both humbling and freeing to realize that the point was never about my ability to follow rules perfectly. Instead, it's about recognizing my need and being open to God's solution.

Note to self: Look up more on this topic. Romans 3:20 and 4:15 seem relevant - should study those next.

Until next time

Chaplain Mark