I’ve been thinking about Peter and how he lashed out with his sword in the garden when Jesus was arrested. It is telling of the human heart that any follower of Jesus, would, in that moment, want to take action and do anything to stop what was happening. And I’ve also been thinking about what Pastor Jason shared on Sunday: You need to have the fruit of the Spirit if you are going to stand up for God in the Spirit.
I have been feeling a deep burden over those who profess Christ but do not display the fruit of the Spirit. I think this is often the worst kind of hurt we can experience. People that proclaim Christ with their mouth, but their actions are not filled with any “...love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness or self control.” (Galatians 5:22-23, NIV).
Paul goes on to say in Galatians that “...Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” (23-26)
Gosh, I don’t know about you, but I feel like our world is filled with conceit, provoking, and envy. And I am not just talking about the “world” around us, but also I see it among people who proclaim Christ. It is tough, because as Jesus said in the garden, “...The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41 - NIV).
In one of my classes at Talbot Seminary, we are learning all about this struggle with the flesh, and why sometimes it feels so hard to walk in the Spirit. Something that was said in one of my lectures is really sinking in to my heart and helping me make sense of this. The professor said something to the effect of, “the Holy Spirit transforms the human heart and character, and He does that in partnership with the human spirit.”
I think this is a beautiful way of saying what Galatians 5:25 is also saying where Paul writes, “...keep in step with the Spirit”. It’s like a dance, where each step matters.
We cannot pray in the morning to be filled with the Spirit and forget about God for the rest of the day. We have to pray for each step, each moment, each twist and turn in the road. We let Him lead us, and we stop to pray before we act…maybe that simple action is where transformation starts.
What would happen if every leader that professes Christ actually stopped to pray before they spoke? What kind of world would that be? What if in our own hearts, each and every day, we stopped to pray before we acted or spoke? I honestly believe this would change everything about what we do.
Would you pray for this radical transformation alongside me?
Lord, we offer our human spirit to be in step with your Holy Spirit. We come before you as living sacrifices, laying down our flesh, ready and willing to do your work. God, please pour out the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. When we stand up for you, I pray that our words would be dripping with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control. Give us your will, not ours. Help us to lay down whatever we need to in order to walk in Christ-likeness today.
Amen.
I have been feeling a deep burden over those who profess Christ but do not display the fruit of the Spirit. I think this is often the worst kind of hurt we can experience. People that proclaim Christ with their mouth, but their actions are not filled with any “...love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness or self control.” (Galatians 5:22-23, NIV).
Paul goes on to say in Galatians that “...Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” (23-26)
Gosh, I don’t know about you, but I feel like our world is filled with conceit, provoking, and envy. And I am not just talking about the “world” around us, but also I see it among people who proclaim Christ. It is tough, because as Jesus said in the garden, “...The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41 - NIV).
In one of my classes at Talbot Seminary, we are learning all about this struggle with the flesh, and why sometimes it feels so hard to walk in the Spirit. Something that was said in one of my lectures is really sinking in to my heart and helping me make sense of this. The professor said something to the effect of, “the Holy Spirit transforms the human heart and character, and He does that in partnership with the human spirit.”
I think this is a beautiful way of saying what Galatians 5:25 is also saying where Paul writes, “...keep in step with the Spirit”. It’s like a dance, where each step matters.
We cannot pray in the morning to be filled with the Spirit and forget about God for the rest of the day. We have to pray for each step, each moment, each twist and turn in the road. We let Him lead us, and we stop to pray before we act…maybe that simple action is where transformation starts.
What would happen if every leader that professes Christ actually stopped to pray before they spoke? What kind of world would that be? What if in our own hearts, each and every day, we stopped to pray before we acted or spoke? I honestly believe this would change everything about what we do.
Would you pray for this radical transformation alongside me?
Lord, we offer our human spirit to be in step with your Holy Spirit. We come before you as living sacrifices, laying down our flesh, ready and willing to do your work. God, please pour out the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. When we stand up for you, I pray that our words would be dripping with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control. Give us your will, not ours. Help us to lay down whatever we need to in order to walk in Christ-likeness today.
Amen.
Erika Pizzo
Erika is an author of various books on the topics of faith, mental health, and victory in Christ. Erika lives with her husband, daughter, son, and their fluffy poodle in sunny Southern California. Her two favorite things are a visit to the beach and a chai latte in hand.