Walk by the Spirit - Caroline Hales

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Galatians 5:16 NIV

Busy days can lead to feeling worn out. The last thing we might want to do is walk by the Spirit. 

Fatigue builds from fulfilling multiple requests. Another task, another errand, another person to visit. We keep going. Distractions bombard us—emails, phone calls, news. We can easily fall prone to focusing on ourselves. A yearning to live by our natural self gratifies the desires of our flesh.

Paul writes about another way to approach life. We can walk by the Spirit.

But what is the difference between walking by the Spirit and walking with our minds concentrated on ourselves? Focus. Focusing on the Spirit does not mean our physical world will change.

We live in a physical and spiritual world. We tend to conduct our lives with our own strength. Walking by the Spirit changes our approach to the world. We can set our minds on God’s way of living.

For example, in a conversation, we can withhold unloving words toward someone directing undeserved blame at us and speak words of grace instead by clarifying  the other person’s view.

We find rest for our souls when we walk in step with the Holy Spirit. When we remain in fellowship with Him and make decisions in line with God’s ways, we walk by the Spirit.

I think of walking by the Spirit as like leaning against a wall. The wall supports me when I rest with my back against the wall. Similarly, I can rely on the Holy Spirit for support. A part of leaning on the Spirit means I know Him and on whom I depend.

Spiritual support may include praying for the Spirit to help us love a difficult person, recalling a Bible verse about gratefulness, or thanking someone for their act of kindness.

By memorizing a Bible verse about Christlike behavior, God’s way of approaching a situation may quickly come to mind in our moment of need. Carrying the picture in my mind of leaning on a wall helps me to remember to walk in step with the Holy Spirit when I am prone to focusing on myself.

How can you learn to walk by the Spirit?

Tweetable: Have you learned to walk by the Spirit? 

Caroline Hales is a Project Manager, a student at Dallas Theological Seminary, and a freelance writer. She has an adorable niece in California who teeters as she toddles. Caroline’s passion to share Christ with others has grown while she has served in church ministry, leading evangelism and women’s ministry. She lives in Ontario, Canada.

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