(Let the Spirit) Pull Yourself Up by Your Bootstraps

This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Galatians 3:2-3

I love the way Paul breaks this down. No true believer thinks that he was saved by anything other than faith in Christ. Yet, when it comes to growing and maturing in our Christian walks, so many of us rely on our own efforts. It's foolish to think that even though we begin our spritual walk by the Spirit that we would be able to sustain it by any of the "good" that we do.

We need to go through each day in the power of the Spirit. This is how we grow...this is how we live powerfully in obedience to our Lord. Paul goes on to say in Galatians 5:16 that if you "walk by the Spirit...you will not carry out the desire of the flesh."

Trying to get an area of your spiritual life on track? Give up trying and give it over to God. If He has the power to save us, He has the power to perfect us.

Either Or

Galatians 1:10

For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.

I want to be a servant of Christ, but this passage makes it clear that it is not possible to be a servant of Christ while still trying to please men. Wow. I know being a people-pleaser is not a good thing, but I hadn't seen it as being in direct competition with my ability to serve Christ until this morning.

I think this realization will help me when as I look for opportunities to share my faith. Holding back in conversation is a means of trying to please people and that holds me back from being a true servant of Christ.

"God, You know how much I am struggling with proclaiming the Gospel to those around me. Thank you for showing me what's really at stake. I want to serve You, and my fear of people is keeping me from doing that adequately. I come before you too weak to do this on my own. But I know from 2 Cor. 12:10 that "when I am weak I am strong" in You. Empower me to be the man I need to be for Your glory. Amen."

Being IN STEP

Galatians 5:22-24 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit"

I especially liked the last part, which reminds me a life with desire/and my passions crucified, and with proper fruit of the Spirit HAS TO BE IN STEP WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. This just reinforces the desperate must for us to stay in the scripture and prayer, and to spend consistent daily time with God. We MUST stay in step w/ him! So discipline up!

Before and After

Nehemiah 2:8 And the king granted them to me because the good hand of my God was on me.

Remember this guy? Good old Nehemiah. I remember one of the nuggets of that book was Nehemiah's constant willingness to give God the cred. When I read his words in v.8 (and similar words in v.18), it seems legit. However, when I often hear rappers or athletes saying the same things after a recent success, it seems a little...less than legit. What's the difference?

I think the difference is what happens before. We see in Nehemiah 2:4 that when faced with a chance to request help from the king for rebuilding Jerusalem, he paused and went to God in prayer before he went into action. Then the king said to me, "What would you request?" So I prayed to the God of heaven (Nehemiah 2:4). It was natural for Nehemiah to give God credit after a success because he had actually gone to God for help before he entered the playing field.

What about me? Am I simply paying lip service to God when something good happens, or am I setting myself up to legitimately give God the glory in everything I do? I need to pay more attention to the "before" so I can more appropriately give God the glory "after".