We all need guidance in our lives, which is why God placed the Holy Spirit within us. How can we put aside our own wants for the wisdom that comes when the Spirit leads?
“The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6)
Whenever I think of the tug of war between the desires of our flesh and the guidance of the Spirit, I picture those old cartoons with the angel and devil on someone’s shoulder.
I see the cartoonish devil whispering that eating all those chocolate chip cookies is ok. That skipping this week’s sermon to make room for more scrolling time is no big deal just this once. That doing the wrong thing is fine so long as you don’t get caught.
And then there’s the angel, the Spirit. This one leads you to make the harder choices. To put the cookie back, settle in for a remote church service, and do the right thing even when no one is watching.
Just writing that, I can see why so many choose to follow the urgings of the flesh. Why they’d rather enjoy the moment than do the thing that doesn’t offer immediate satisfaction.
But letting the Spirit lead us isn’t just about how it feels in the moment. It’s about what becomes of us from the moment we make that choice to follow. And every moment after.
There’s no regret in a Spirit-led life
Have you ever eaten too many decadent desserts and felt sick and regretful later? Or maybe dragged yourself out of bed in the morning after getting sucked into Netflix until the wee hours?
How about shared a secret that wasn’t yours, badmouthed your spouse, or handed in shoddy work at your job just to be done with it?
We’ve all let the sinful nature that exists within us have it’s day in the sun. And we’ve all felt the regret of those choices. Whether they were outside consequences from others or inner guilt that ate away at our souls.
But when our minds and actions are guided by the Spirit, we can enjoy peace and contentment. From the moment we make the choice to act according to our faith, we set ourselves on a path that’s richer and fuller.
Regret narrows us, turning us inward. Sin steals our color, leaving us drab and lifeless. Every flash of excitement is soon snuffed out.
But living according to our faith, listening to the urgings of the Holy Spirit to lead a Christ-centered life, this is true life. Full and colorful and open to others.
But it’s only there is we set aside the devil on our shoulder, and listen to the Spirit in our hearts…
Have a blessed Monday!
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