Spirit Walkin!

Long Post Alert!!! I'm pretty sure the boys that slept over last night for my sons birthday probably slept between 0-2 hours lol, I know Rob and I only slept a few. They are having so much fun though, who needs sleep! While they are jumping on the trampoline and Rob and Hailey are sleeping now I'm getting my quiet time in!

I really love Galatians 5, it lays out a simple illustration that we can all use in our lives. Are we walking in the spirit or in the flesh? "I say then: walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lust against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish." (v. 16-17)

When I first read that a couple years back I remember having an lightbulb moment. My flesh is always going to be weak BUT the Spirit from the Lord that is inside of me is strong and it is fighting against the weakness that is in me, the weakness that is my flesh. I knew I needed to learn a better way, I needed to learn to walk in the Spirit! 

How do I know how to do that though? Well Galatians 5:19-26 goes on to tell us what are works of the flesh (even saying they are evident) and what are works of the Spirit. 

The fruits of the Spirit (v. 22-23) is a simple guideline. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." 

So when I am fearful I ask am I walking in faithfulness? When I feel anger arising am I leading in kindness and gentleness? When I am tired of a long term issue am I long suffering? In my daily interactions with others am I showing love, goodness and joy? Do I strive for peace? And the one that gets me the most am I self controlled? 

You see I spent a lot of years letting my emotions rule me, determine me even but there was only bad fruit from that. I don't want to plant seeds of anger or disgust or division so I strive against my flesh every day. It's not always easy and it's not always accomplished but I am trying and this section of the bible has helped to try to filter my actions in a way that might glorify God!