Why does it have to be so easy?

As I was finishing, I decided to come back to the top and write this quick intro. This is not a normal post for me, but that's OK. You've been warned...

Life has been good lately, and I am incredibly blessed. Why, then, do I still have problems with sin? I know we all have issues with sin ("for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" - Romans 3:23), but what frustrates me is the fact that I have the same problem over and over again.

Truth is, it's way too easy to fall into a pattern of sin-repent-sin-repent. How easy? So easy that the Bible speaks to it specifically. You'll probably recognize the passage...

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1, emphasis mine

Now, I'm not a Biblical scholar, nor have I checked multiple commentaries or even gone back to the original Greek to research the nuances of the original text. What I do know is that in American English, when you talk about "the" something, you mean one specific thing. When parents tell their kids to turn off "the" television, they don't mean any random TV somewhere in the city, they mean that specific TV their kids are watching.

Similarly, I find that in my life there is one particular sin which "so easily entangles" me. Yours may be (and probably is) different than mine, but I would guess that all of us have one of our own. Not something to be proud of, but don't feel that you're a miserable wretch just because you have this problem.

I wonder if this is what Paul was referring to in 2 Corinthians when he talks about the "a thorn in my flesh." (2 Corinthians 12:7) According to that chapter, when he asked God to take it away, the response was, "My grace is sufficient for you." (2 Corinthians 12:9) (which probably would have ticked me off if I were Paul) Again, I'm not a Biblical scholar, just a believer who wonders.

So what do we do? Give in because we know that it will "so easily entangle us?" No, we are clearly called to "put aside" our sin, and the "run with endurance." Just because I know I'm not perfect doesn't mean that I want to stay as bad as I am now... I want to get better - get entangled less frequently, or to a lesser extent. And so "I press on toward the goal" (Philippians 3:14) of perfection, but allow myself some grace when I miss the mark.

How about you?