THE HOLY SPIRIT IS AT WORK IN YOU

“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”—Galatians 5:16

The times that we feel deep satisfaction and great joy are when we connect with our God-given purpose.  It is important to understand that we cannot achieve the Lord’s purposes on our own; it is only by His strength and direction that we are able to succeed.

Jesus warned us in John 16:33 that trouble is an integral part of life in this world.  “These things I have spoken to you that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”  As humans, we easily forget how weak we are, and tend to take on the challenges of life in our own strength and resourcefulness.  Human nature wants to tackle life by itself, and in its own power, and then take the credit.  So when temptations, trials, criticism, gossip, and persecution assail, many of us have the tendency to go into high gear and try all the harder.

 

For a while, life may actually seem good this way.  But in the long run, self-reliance creates a mess and is filled with pride.  And it also interferes with the fulfillment of God’s purposes. 

The truth is, we sometimes experience failure in life in order to realize our complete dependence upon God and to break our pride, by showing us that we cannot life fully without following the Spirit’s guidance. 

Prayer—Father I surrender my life anew to You today.  I ask You to forgive me for the times that I have pride-fully went my own way and sought my solutions instead of Yours.  Today I yield myself to the Holy Spirit’s control in Jesus Name. Amen.