[Tuesday's Devotional] - The Internal Battle

If you are guided by the Spirit, you won't obey your selfish desires.  The Spirit and your desires are enemies of each other. They are always fighting each other and keeping you from doing what you feel you should.  But if you obey the Spirit, the Law of Moses has no control over you.

People's desires make them give in to immoral ways, filthy thoughts, and shameful deeds.  They worship idols, practice witchcraft, hate others, and are hard to get along with. People become jealous, angry, and selfish. They not only argue and cause trouble, but they are envious. They get drunk, carry on at wild parties, and do other evil things as well. I told you before, and I am telling you again:  No one who does these things will share in the blessings of God's kingdom.

Galatians 5: 16-21 [CEV]

Have you ever met someone who was "hard to get along with"?  The reality of the conflict in the world between good and evil (God and the Devil) means that people are living in turmoil – and sometimes that rubs off on the relationships they have with everyone around them. 

We have the Spirit which guides us and tells us what we should do – but we also have our human (sinful) nature which prompts us with other things to desire.  The result is a battle inside each human – I find that it is usually easy to find something positive (and negative) in everyone I meet.  Hardly surprising, as I can find positive and negative aspects of "being me".

True peace comes from submitting to the Spirit – not submitting to the instant gratification that our human nature tells us we should submit to.  A life controlled by our human nature is a life of pain, conflict, hating and bitterness.  Not at all the life we were created for.

There is no shortage of immorality, idolatry, occult practice, hatred and bitterness visible in our world today.  Share the peace that comes from a Spirit-filled life with someone you come into contact today. 

"Preach the Gospel always – use words if necessary" [attributed to Francis of Assisi].   
Amen

Dave MacLellan

Read the Bible in a year:     Psalm 109:1-20          Isaiah 47:1-49:7          Galatians 5:7-26