Translated from a sermon by HH Pope Shenouda III
I have the will, but I don’t have the motivation to do good. This is the condition of the human who stands alone. I am not supported by God. A human who works by their own will and by their own strength. Completely alone. By himself. It cannot work this way for they do not allow God to enter into their life to renew them.
They stand alone. If only all your struggles that you hold by your own strength, you could give over to the mighty Hand of God. Instead of struggling against a sin, struggle with God to give you victory over sin. If only you had struggled in prayer and supplication and cry out, “God stand with me, work with me, I cannot do it alone. God, I tried alone and it didn’t work. Every time I get up, I fall back down again in despair. God, help me, save me, every time I fall, help me to get back up again.”
Don’t stand by yourself in helplessness. Be sure that by yourself, you will be overcome by the devil. The corrupted nature will overcome even the strongest without God. Sin in its power will overcome you. The cunningness of the devil will easily defeat you. Do not fight alone. Do not give power to sin.
In Proverbs, we read about sin, “For she has cast down many wounded, And all who were slain by her were strong men.” – Proverbs 7:26.
If you fall despite all your strength, know that you fought alone and God was not present with you. Find God and tell Him, “Come! Come and fight the devil to flee from me. Come and save me from myself. Come and give me the will to fight, the strength to fight and the motivation to attain victory over sin.”
My heart loves evil and sin. Give me a heart renewed in Your Love. Create in me a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit within me (Psalm 51:10). Give me a clean heart and a new soul. Give me anything from You.
I am not able to do it alone. Do not be ashamed from God. Confess and hold yourself accountable for your weaknesses and sins. Say to God, “I can’t. I won’t promise You that I will not sin when I know that I am weak. I can’t do it without You. Instead of promising You that I will walk straight, I want to take strength from You so that I can walk straight. When I promise You that I am going to walk straight, that is me telling You that I am strong. But I won’t fool myself in that way. I know I am not strong, for strength comes from You alone. My previous experience with myself proved my weakness. My experience in falling proves that I cannot. My experience showed me that my will is weak. I am sinful and nothing in me is good, as the apostle says in his epistle to the Romans.”
Talk to God and say to Him, “Come. Come live in my heart and clean it of all its blemishes. Come live in this mind and sanctify its thoughts. Come live in this mouth, and cleanse my words. Transform my entire being. I can’t do it on my own.”
If only every single one of us could cry out before God that I cannot do it on my own! I’ve labored all night and caught nothing. O’ God You saw Pharaoh enslave me for 400 years. If You did not save me from him, I would not have been able to save myself. Salvation is of the Lord. Save me, O’ Lord. Purify me from my iniquities. Sanctify my heart and my needs. Return me to You.