Don’t Lose Hope - August 1, 2021

When I talk to priests about the Sacrament of Reconciliation, they say that one of the most frequent things they hear in confession is, “I’m tired of coming back here week after week and month after month repeating the same sins.”

It is easy to get discouraged when we are trying to change behaviors. We strive for virtue and holiness and yet it can seem like we are bogged down in a repetitive cycle of sins that will never change or improve. In these moments, we need to remember to have hope. Something that I think is very important when we are trying to change behavior is to journal our progress.

When I meet with people who start tracking their progress, they are often caught off guard when they realize that their behaviors are changing. They start to realize that instead of falling into their sins such as sarcasm or anger every day, it is now every other day, or once a week, and then eventually once per month. If we do not have a way of tracking, it is easy to overlook our progress.

When we overlook our progress, that is when Satan comes in and tells us that we have not changed, are not changing, and will never change. When we get discouraged and lose hope, that is when we stop trying and then we really are not changing or growing.

This week, I would encourage you to keep a calendar or journal handy to write down the occasions of sin that you are trying to change. You may find that you are growing more than you realized!