"It's my evil side"

Funny story.  Last weekend when we were coaching state finals for our Special Olympics teams, one of our kids totally hacked another kid and took him out.  He laughed loud and proud with an evil laugh.  We've been told before that the evil laugh is not a good sign, so one of the other coaches pulled him out.

As the coach pulled this player aside to try to talk, he asked the the kid "Why did you do that?" This is how he responded:  "It's my evil side and I LIKE it"

It was funny - and I must say - the coach handled it so well.  He didn't laugh, didn't yell, just tried to make him see that an attitude like that is going to result in not playing.

I've been thinking about this statement for a few days now.  This young man does not have the social filters you and I have - so he says what he thinks.  We may look at him and think of how awful he is for saying that, or how we would never think that way because we don't have the same issues this young man does - but can we be honest in that?

How many times have we smiled when someone has gotten what they do - or don't - deserve?  I know I'm not alone in this.  There have been times when certain people in my life who have done me wrong have finally gotten what's coming to them - and - honestly - there have been moments that it DOES make me HAPPY.  Which, I know, is wrong - but it's true.

How many times in our lives do we actually LIKE our evil side? Don't be too quick to say never. 

Sometimes we DO enjoy evil - for a season.  Sometimes it APPEARS to feel GOOD when we do things we know displease God.  In the moment - sin - seems appetizing.

But much like our player had to learn this past weekend - sin - our evil side - has consequences.  The consequences are different depending on the sin - but we all end up "out of the game" so to speak until we calm down and realize what we have done or are doing is wrong.  We have to apologize to "the coach", ask for forgiveness, don't repeat our sin and get back in the game.

Romans 7:14-25

The Message (MSG)

 ^14-16I can anticipate the response that is coming: "I know that all God's commands are spiritual, but I'm not. Isn't this also your experience?" Yes. I'm full of myself—after all, I've spent a long time in sin's prison. What I don't understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can't be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God's command is necessary.
 ^17-20But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.
 ^21-23It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God's commands, but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.
 ²⁴I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question?
 ²⁵The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.