Johnny Cash was having a meal with Bono (the lead singer for U2) and they both bowed their heads to pray. Johnny Cash prayed and thanked God for the food, friendships, forgiveness, and salvation. After the prayer Johnny Cash raised his head and said to Bono, “I sure do miss the drugs though.”

The Apostle Paul shared some of what was going on with his internal struggles in Romans 7:14-20,

“We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it” (NIV).

I often call this the doo-doo passage. When we find ourselves dealing with these inner struggles we find ourselves in a whole lot of doo-doo. All of us can identify with these struggles because all of us have them. We may not know what to do about it. Ask yourself three questions:

What Do I Really Want?

Many people are not honest with themselves about what they really want.  Honestly ask yourself, “What do I really want?” Matthew 5:6 says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (NIV). What do you hunger and thirst for? Is it righteousness or that thing you are having that internal struggle over?

Who Is Really In Charge?

Have you given Jesus the lead in your life? Or are you still trying to be in charge? The word Lord actually means leader, boss, CEO, the one in charge. Are you just calling Jesus Lord or have you actually made him the leader of your life? “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21, NIV, Jesus speaking).

Who Is Really Going To Help Me?

Zig Ziglar says, “If you see a turtle on fencepost you can rest assured that sucker did not get there by himself.” He had some help along the way. If you are going to overcome those internal struggles you are dealing with you will NEED some help along the way.

You do not have to share your struggles with everybody, but you do have to share them with somebody. Find somebody who loves God and loves you to share your struggles with. If there is a sin in your life that you cannot talk to someone about then Satan has already won in that area of your life. Do not let him win!

We all struggle with sin. Even the Apostle Paul struggled with sin. That is why he needed Jesus. And just because we have this sin struggle does not mean we give up. We keep on fighting while relying heavily on the grace and forgiveness of God through our savior, Lord, and friend Jesus Christ!

What have you found helpful in dealing with your internal struggles?

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