Romans 7:15-20

Martins Adedeji

Please read to the end to understand this story.

My mornings always started with slaps or anything my mother could lay her hands upon, could be broom, turning stick sometimes packer. I was the first child of a family of two and I always bed wet. Yes bed wet! You heard me right. In those days, as early as 5am when the first cock crowed, my mother would be awake engaging in morning chores and preparing for work. Since we lived in a room and parlour, the foul smell of my urine always annoyed her. So that anger is what she vents on me every morning.

Brethen, I was used to waking up to slaps because i would bed wet incessantly, I was tagged ‘Àtolè’.
Innocent me, the steaming hot slaps would not just wake me but gives quick notice to the early morning wonderful land of dreams full of fair fairies and so i would be rudely shaken, woken up to a stark reality. As i look up, half-asleep, half-awake in the dim lantern light of the room, to the the shadow of my angry mother. And then I will get up from my tattered mat because ‘person wey dey piss for house no dey sleep bed’. Pack my mat to spread outside and wash my urine filled wrapper. Back in those days, my mat usually have map of Nigeria, or Africa, depending on the level of bedwet.
That was the reality of how i grew up.
I was beaten (several bonus knocks), abused, tortured, disciplined and discriminated upon all because i was bed wetting which at that time was clearly not my fault. Did I forget to tell you? I was in primary five, so it was even a shame to me that many of my classmates have stopped to bed wet but i was battling this issue.

It was not really my fault that i turned our parlor to river Niger every night but when i sleep, in fact i make sure i visit the toilet very well before i lay my mat, but when the urine wants to come, it comes like I am dreaming. I will be dreaming that I am in the toilet but the reality is that I am still lying on my mat so I allow free flow every night. I could remember I dreamt peeing by the road side, so I would confortably position well. But unfortunately I will just wake up to see my mat and wrapper soaked wit my own urine.

There was nothing my mother did not threaten me with, she said she would come to my school and tell all my classmates, i was scared but it did not stop me. She went as far as making sure compound – neighbors kids sang “Atole” for me, hmm hmm, it yielded no results. I even ate my own dinner earlier than others , even if i eat dinner by 5pm, me Martins i would still bed wet. It was that bad, really bad.

However, what they did not know was that i was more ‘pained’ myself, i was ashamed and devastated. It almost caused me depression as a child. I was not happy with the fact that i was the last grown child to stop to bed wet among my peers.
This problem did not end until during one of my grandmother’s visit.
After the first two night, mama saw all that happened and called me one evening to ask me my own part of the story. You know grandparents are always attentive to their grandchildren. So i told mama, its not me that is urinating, it is the spirit in me, as small i was i shed tears and told her i want it to stop but it would not. So she promised to help me.
Grandma bought a tiny cane and insisted that I share the bed with her against all odds. She kept vigil to ensure she wakes me by 12am, 3am and 5am till day break. She did this for one week. So i became accustomed to waking up myself henceforth. That was how i
I overcame a problem that wanted to put a big boy to shame.

In the words of Dr Stephen J Lawson “Every believer is fighting a great battle being waged within them. They face outside enemies in the world and the devil that war against them. But there is an even more constant opponent that has established a foothold inside of every believer. I refer to our sin nature. It involves us in a relentless battle between our new man in Christ and our old sinful flesh.”

Paul stated in Romans 7:15-20
“For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the law, confessing that the law is good. So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me”

Like Paul, many Christians find themselves in a similar spiritual battle. We want to do what is right but struggle to overcome our rebellious, sinful nature. We fail, we falter, we do the very things we hate and know are wrong, and when we mess up, we can often grow weary, disheartened and even overwhelmed.

The Apostle Paul that was speaking about the works of the flesh In operations in him, how the things he didn’t want to do. He found himself doing. And the things he wanted to do he couldn’t do them because of “flesh”.

I remember a senior anointed member of the fellowship told me sometimes ago that he was battling against masturbation. This was someone that was highly refrenced and whose anointing i look up to.
It shows clearly that only Christ is perfect.

Does that means that no one is perfect?
Yes, no one is. We are only striving for perfection.
mark 10: 17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.

Are we also subject to mistakes?
Yes we are!
Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

However, this can be corrected by dwelling more in the holy spirit.
(Human flesh is weak that is why you need to practice Christianity according to the guidance of the holy spirit).

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