Galatians 5:25 “If we live in the spirit, let us keep step with the spirit.”
This is Arvell Craig with the Monday Morning Devo for March 16, 2015,
We have been on a series of discernment, discerning God, his will his purposes, his activity, both in us, for us and around us.
In today’s, verse, we see quite a few interesting aspects of discerning God. The main phrase is the end part, “keep in step with the spirit.”
But before we look into that, we must cover the first part. The Apostle Paul, say, “if” we live by the spirit.
I find that word “If” quite telling. It of course implies optional. Or that, it’s not automatic, it requires a choice.
Many people come into Christianity into the Kingdom of God, but once they enter, their lifestyle is completely ruled by circumstances and their environment and whatever comes their way.
So it will take all us a decisive choice to choose to live by the spirit and not the flesh. Not whatever comes our way.
As we spend time daily with the Lord, and we purposely seek to sense and discern his activity in us or around us. As we assume that he is near and activity and we look for him, we are beginning to live by the spirit.
Let me tell you a story:
The cool thing about writing these devotionals every week and having the daily habit of spending time everyday, I get the chance to practice everything I share with you.
Recently I was working on a side project and it was taking a long time to finish. Things that I would normally deem priority were being temporarily neglected.
Normally, I would begin to feel guilty, I would stop the side project to go back to focusing on the main work. In my head I felt that this was what I should do.
However, I was able to shift my attention from my head to my heart. From my logic to my intuition. And you know what I recognized? Pure peace. A green light. No inner sirens bring guilt or conviction that aligned with my thought.
In the spirit, you could say, the light was green to keep pressing and finish the side project. And so I did. And it was a success.
So let me encourage you this week:
Live by the spirit. Chose to shift and learn to recognize the will of spirit, not just the phone calls, news, tweets and text and everything else vying for you attention.
Let’s pray:
Heavenly Father — would you help us learn to discern your presence your peace your activity around us. Help us to live and move within the constraints of your world and will not the be limited to our own logic and the priorities of the world around us.
This week, would you take us even one step– away from the flesh and into the life of the spirit. In Jesus Name. Amen.