Controlled by the Spirit or by your flesh?

¹⁵ So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. ¹⁶ Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.¹⁷ Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Eph:5:15 -17

I was meditating on this topic for few weeks now and I realised that every single moment of our day we our either controlled by our flesh or we are controlled by the Holy Spirit. Your actions are based on whom you obey. If you are constantly connected to the LORD by reading HIS Word and spending time in prayer, then your immediate obedience would be to the SPIRIT of GOD. If you hardly spend time in prayer or read HIS Word, you will cave in to the flesh. The Bible teaches us to be careful in how we live our lives, to live it wisely and not to live thoughtlessly.

¹⁷ With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. ¹⁸ Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. ¹⁹ They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

²⁰ But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. ²¹ Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, ²² throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.²³ Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. ²⁴ Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. Eph:4:17-24

Apostle Paul encourages us again and again in all his books to put on the new nature of CHRIST and to live a life pleasing to GOD, to imitate CHRIST and live upto Heavenly standards. Let us ask Holy Spirit to guide us and help us in our day to day lives.

Many times we wonder why we behave the way we do and mostly we get angry on ourselves after we do the wrong thing. But the truth is simple, you behave the way you do based on whom you are controlled by.

¹⁶ So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. ¹⁷ The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. ¹⁸ But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. Gal:5:16-18

In the above passage Paul gives us a list of behaviours that results from obeying the flesh and from obeying the SPIRIT. I have made a list below,

Fruits of the SPIRIT	Fruits of flesh
Love	Sexual immorality
Joy	Impurity
Peace	Lustful pleasures
Patience	Idolatry
Kindness	Sorcery
Goodness	Hostility
Faithfulness	Quarrelling
Gentleness	Jealousy
Self-Control	Outbursts of anger
	Selfish ambition
	Dissension
	Division
	Envy
	Drunkenness
	Wild parties
	Other sins

 

Based on the above list lets analyse and categorise ourselves as to which behaviour determines us.

Who is controlling you, your flesh or the Holy Spirit? Whom are you listening to and obeying? Does your life reflect the fruits of the SPIRIT or the flesh?

Times of testing doesn’t take very long, every single second of our lives we are being tested.

Some of the examples are,

• The time when you get angry, you can either choose to win the argument by shouting and ranting or to keep quite or give a gentle reply.
• The time when you are tempted to tell lies because you are late for something or because you are sick and don’t want to show up at school or work.
• The time when someone is mean to you and you want to be unkind to them.
• The time when someone asks for help and you turn them down.
• The time when you scream at your parents, spouse, children or strangers because of stress at work.
• The time when you want to shut yourself down and not let anyone help you because you don’t trust them.
• The time when you want to be rude to everyone because you are hurting inside.
• The time when you don’t want to settle down an argument and rather want to win it, despite knowing that you will lose the relationship.
• The time when you are alone and no-one is watching you and you give in to pleasures.
• The time when you allow lustful thoughts in your mind thinking that its not going to harm anyone else, little realising that GOD knows your every thought and intentions of your heart.
• The time when you tease someone and say it was a joke when actually you were trying to get even by insulting them.
• The times you feel jealous about someone and gossip about them.
• The times of hatred, bitterness, betraying one another, backbiting, stealing and rage.

One of the things that JESUS already warned people that will happen in last days is that, love will grow cold. 

Sure enough there’s lack of love in the family among each other, among friends and among believers! Everywhere we turn there’s violence and hatred and its even present within the body of CHRIST. Sadly people hate facing each other and try to hurt them in different ways.

Let me encourage you with the below scriptures,

And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. Col:3:17

So next time you are tempted to be rude, angry, unkind and unforgiving think twice because you are not an ordinary person, you are a “Representative of LORD JESUS” and its not a simple thing. In all this thankfulness is the key attitude, be grateful every single moment of your life.And finally,

¹² Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.¹³ Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. ¹⁴ Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Have a blessed Spirit led fruitful day!!!

GOD bless!