Understanding our weaknesses is what gives us strength. When we know what tempts us and at what point we know we will fail, we know how to fight the sin in our life. If, however, we fail to recognize our failures, then we give our sin great power over our lives. Cut it off. Destroy it. Don't allow yourself to fall into the same patterns. Set up safeguards when you are in the right state of mind. Make sure that they are foolproof, even to yourself. God loves us, and He is willing to give us the strength. He has given us the strength. How do we tap into this strength? By understanding our weaknesses. If we do not understand our weaknesses, then we cannot defeat them. It is like an army trying to fight another; the army that truly understands its enemy will win. Hands down. It is the same with us. When we understand our enemy, the sin in our life, then we will have the strength to defeat it. God does not say that he will give us strength in the moment of our trials. Sometimes he may. Rather though, the strength that he gives us is the power to understand our weaknesses. My father always says, "The best way to stop something is to never start it." This little truth holds so much power, so much strength. Put safeguards in your life to prevent you from even starting. Sin is a slippery slope. I know it. And trust me when I say that you cannot toy with sin. Unless you run from it when you are remorseful over it, you will not defeat it. While you are hateful of the sin, put barriers in your life that will keep you from the sin. Someday, you won't be remorseful. You'll remember how good that sin was, how much satisfaction you got from it, and you'll forget the sorrow you had. If the barriers you put in your life don't stop you this time, then put up stricter ones the next time.
What is the best barrier, you may ask? Accountability. Find someone who will get in your face and say, "Have you done (insert sin) today? Have you thought about doing it? Are you lying to me?" That is the single best barrier that will stop you from habitual sin. If you break through that barrier, then you will need much much more than just setting up barriers in your life. Accountability is the best thing to have. However, it is hard to gain. It takes a best friend who cares more about your life and your wellbeing than they care about being your friend.
As always, go to the Lord. You can put all the barriers in place, but if you do not go to the Lord with them, then it doesn't matter. Place those barriers in the firm foundation of prayer. God will help keep them in place. This is the strength he promises. He doesn't promise to put boundaries in your way. But, when we place boundaries in true prayer, He will help keep them. It doesn't mean that you won't break through them someday. But, it is a good start. Pray. Read your Bible. But most of all, keep on loving. Love yourself. Love others. Love with a Godly love.
"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
