“So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.” (Galatians 5:16, NLT)
Every day we make the same choice over and over again: will we live after the Spirit or after the flesh? It is a constant battle, for the flesh is relentless in its demands: “Feed me, listen to me, obey me, cater to me, please me, etc.” The Spirit, on the other hand, is a still, small voice. He is gentle…but can be persistent. He will always be in agreement with God’s Word. His purpose is always that we would bear His fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. God has constituted us so that if we feed one then we will forget the other. If we feed the flesh, then we will soon forget about feeding the Spirit. Likewise, if we feed the Spirit, we will soon forget about feeding the flesh.
Consider the law of sowing and reaping. Now that spring has arrived many people are buying seeds for their garden. They know that if they plant tomato seeds then they will get tomatoes, and if they plant cucumber seeds they will get cucumbers. The same is true with sowing to the flesh or to the Spirit.
“Do not be fooled: You cannot cheat God. People harvest only what they plant. If they plant to satisfy their sinful selves, their sinful selves will bring them ruin. But if they plant to please the Spirit, they will receive eternal life from the Spirit.” (Galatians 6:7-8, NCV)
What seeds are we planting today? Are they the seeds of pleasing the flesh? Then we will reap spiritual decay and ruin. Are they the seeds of pleasing the Spirit? Then we will reap eternal and abundant life from the Spirit. The choice is ours…moment by moment…each and every day.
The cravings of the sinful nature can scream for attention. Often the more we starve the bad dog the louder he barks. But if we will choose to feed the Spirit, if we will seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, then we won’t obey the sinful nature. Moreover, God will add every good thing to our lives.
You’ve chosen to read this. You could have deleted it. What will you choose next?
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