In this passage, one word stands out - revolution! We often associate revolution with something violent, turmoil and death. Although some people start revolutions to due to greed, generally speaking, revolutions happen because of a peoples aspirations of freedom!

Addicts want to kick their habits but they can because they are bound to their additions. Their addictions control them and so they are slaves to their additions.

Paul said that his will desires to do good, but his body does exactly the opposite of what his will desires. This is true to everyone. This desire to do what is contrary to our will is also addiction. We are all addicts to our sinfulness. We look at ourselves and see that we want to kick off a bad habit - but for some reason, we find it hard to do so. Our addictions control us - making us slaves to them.

Sad to say, I have a lot of things that I need to get rid of in myself. BUT the good news is that the Lord is not expecting me to get rid of them all at once! Hes given me a life time to do that.

However, in every stage of my relationship with him, there is one thing that hinders me from growing in my love for him. This one thing is what I need to find out AND fight against it.

This is where the season of Lent comes in.

During this season, we take inventory of ourself - and ask the Lord what is it in us that hinders us from loving him. If we are sincere about this, the Lord will show us. Once we see this, we need to stage a revolution against this addiction. With the grace of the Lord, we will win over it.

Jesus said that the truth will set you free, and when the Son of Man sets you free, you shall be free indeed.

This is a promise he made and since Jesus is the Truth, this is a promise we can believe in. We know that God is faithful and he wants us to have an abundant life. So he will give us the grace to conquer this addiction. Everything now depends on us to respond to this grace.

Paul also says that the greater the sin, the greater the grace. So the stronger this addiction holds us, the stronger and greater is the grace of God.

We need to do everything we can to respond to the Lord - even to the extent of cutting off our contacts with our addiction.

This is what fasting during Lent is for. It teaches us to stay away from the causes of our addictions so that we can train our instincts and be able to resist it.

This season of Lent, may we then, be able to see what hinders us from loving the Lord and may we be able to respond to his grace and stage a revolution against this addiction so that Jesus, the Truth will be able to set us free.