“For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. 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. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.”—Romans 7:14-20

I am powerless! (Wow, that’s hard to say.) While admitting we have some issue is essential, seeing past the issue into the depth of our powerlessness is critical. People often refer to this state of helplessness as hitting “rock bottom.” But it’s more than feeling powerlessness over one issue since often the problems are many. It feels like trying to untangle a terrible knot that’s impossibly tangled. It's the complications of numerous issues creating a complex problem beyond our comprehension. Often those who still claim some illusion of power, ultimately lose, winning a battle and losing the war. And in the end, feel even more defeated—giving in and giving more control to the entanglement of sin.

Powerlessness, however, does not infer that it is not possible to overcome. It might mean just the opposite. Understanding our sense of powerlessness, or where powerlessness meets with real power, means identifying in how and when we are truly powerless. Knowing this is part of the challenge.

DO THIS: Give up power and discover God's power

PRAYER: God, I do feel powerless today, but show me your power, and how reliance on you has the potential to rescue me.