“I can’t live the Christian life for even one hour.”
Have you ever felt that? It’s as if every effort toward holiness, humility, or obedience is immediately met by pride, failure, or despair. The Apostle Paul captured this frustration perfectly in Romans 7:24–25:
“Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
In moments of intense self-awareness, we quickly realise how profoundly incapable we are of keeping even the simplest commands purely. Pride seeps in when we feel we’ve done well, despair arrives swiftly after failure, and anxiety grows as we measure our constant shortcomings. But here’s the profound reality: This inability is not meant to drive us into despair but into deeper dependence upon Christ.
Galatians 2:20 tells us plainly:
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”
The Christian life was never intended to be lived by human strength. Instead, it’s a life of humble, moment-by-moment dependence on Jesus Christ, whose grace meets us exactly in our weakness.
The fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23) aren’t badges we earn through moral achievement. They’re the natural result of Christ’s Spirit working in us as we abide in Him (John 15:4–5). When we struggle and recognize our inability to produce this fruit ourselves, it brings us precisely where God wants us—at the feet of Jesus, dependent upon His grace alone.
The next time you feel discouraged that you can’t even go one hour without stumbling, remember:
- Your failures don’t surprise God—they draw you back to grace.
- The Christian walk is one of continual repentance and dependence, not perfectionism.
- Your inability is precisely why the Gospel is good news.
Rest in the sufficiency of Christ. In your weakest moments, His strength shines most brightly.
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
