The October journal prompts I am using are all dealing with persistent
sins in our lives—those habits and patterns of wrongdoing that we struggle to
conquer. The details may vary, but the battle is universal. We all have our “Achilles
Heel”, that weak area of our spiritual lives where we are most vulnerable.
The Achilles tendon in the back of the leg connects the calf muscles to the heel bone and is crucial for movement. It is named after Achilles, a mythical hero whose only unprotected spot was his heel.
Just like tendon injuries affect our physical health, sin impacts our spiritual condition. Sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2) and gets in the way of our ability to move forward in our walk with Jesus. (1 Peter 2:1-2)
Sometimes the sin we fight to overcome is obvious, like angry outbursts, unfaithfulness, or destructive addictions. Other sins may not be so easily recognizable. Subtle lies, gossip, or uncaring attitudes can be disguised. We hide our sin because we fear consequences, we believe we can change on our own, we want to avoid embarrassment. or because we love the sin. Though we may be able to give the appearance of being holy and righteous, God knows our heart. (Luke 16:15) So how can we overcome sin in our lives?
Meditating on verses that talk about those sins will make it obvious how seriously God takes them. (Psalm 119:11) We can pray and ask for the help of God’s Spirit to root out the sins we are holding onto. (Galatians 5:16) And we can confess our sins to a trusted fellow Christian for accountability. (James 5:16)
It’s easy to excuse sin by saying, “Everybody sins.” Let’s
make no more excuses! Will you join me in taking an honest look within ourselves
through the lens of God’s Spirit and Word to find our Achilles heel—to “rid
ourselves of everything that gets in the way, and of the sin which holds on to
us so tightly”? To “run with determination the race that lies before us, keeping
our eyes fixed on Jesus”? (Heb. 12:1-2) Let’s get serious about letting go of
sin and living a holy life for Jesus!
Be encouraged!
©2025 Pamela D. Williams
