Been There, Done That

"I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do...So I find this law at work: when I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law, but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?" Romans 7:15, 21-24

The catchphrase of the day is "been there, done that". It is self-explanatory. There are experiences, situations, that are common to mankind. We have been in situations and, as we share the story of our experience, the ones listening to our story can relate to our thoughts and feelings. The experiences that seem to catch our attention the most; the ones that resonate with our soul; are the ones where we find ourselves less than adequate.

Truthfully, how many times have you used such a phrase to reference a positive experience? It is usually an expression that tells another we have been equally foolish, stupid, gullible, out of control, and even in despair. We use it when we relate to stories of betrayal or frustration or feelings of neglect. It is not a phrase we use to express feelings of elation or joy or pleasant surprise. No; it is to express the common thread that holds the human race together; our imprisoned nature.

Most days, we are able to brush off feelings of despondency. I have reflected on my own wants and admit I too have done what I did not want to do and what I want to do I don't. And I have been like St. Paul crying out and saying can anyone help me? Are there not days when we feel as if we would lose our minds? Have we not thought to ourselves..."if someone could read our minds we should be committed to prison or a mental ward"?

There is One who has experienced the same things...Jesus Christ was tempted and struggled in the same ways. Yet, He never sinned, never strayed, never gave in the desires of His own will. He promised that He would help us. His promise to never leave us nor forsake us meant He would strengthen us and "save us from the body of death". Yet it is a mystery how it works...and one that may take us a life time to wrap our minds around.

On the night Jesus was betrayed, He promised His disciples (His followers) that He would not leave them alone. He said He would send them someone Who was very much like Him. The word Jesus uses is interpreted "another". Jesus said "I will send another to teach and counsel you".

In Greek, there are two words that mean "another". The first one means something different. The second means something the same. My husband has his own interesting ways of communicating theology. Sometimes I call him the "Tim 'the tool man' Taylor" of theology. He explains the two words like this: you can have an orange Popsicle or a red Popsicle, but an ice cream cone can never be a Popsicle.

Jesus is sending One just like Him: the Holy Spirit; the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God is fully divine and He will empower those who follow Christ to walk in the ways of Christ. He teaches us and counsels us and empowers us. It is by the Holy Spirit that we can finally be set free from this body of death...and yet it is still a mystery how He works...one that may take us a life time to wrap our minds around.

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death." Romans 8:1-2