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.

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

Turning Away - Caroline Hales

Welcome to Walk-on Wednesday. By Hump Day, we are struggling, but we believe a good devotion can strengthen us to finish the week strong. 

Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath. Romans 12:19a NIV

My freshly cut lawn looked immaculate.

The grass boasted a deep green healthy appearance with a uniform blade height, except in one spot. The corner of the lawn, next to the asphalt driveway and roadside curb of our narrow street, had a deep, muddy tire track. My anger grew like a roaring fire each time I saw the cause. My busy neighbor across the road, who had no time to introduce himself, would back his pickup truck out of his driveway and into my driveway to get out. As he backed up, he would steer the truck right over the corner of the lawn as he maneuvered into the street.

The annoyance of continual damage resulted in my desire for vengeance. At one time, I thought if I made a board with nails for the truck to drive over, the situation might go away. I did not place a row of nails on my lawn. It could have made the situation worse. The truth is, retaliation does not demonstrate love for our neighbors. Vengeance belongs to the Lord.

God will one day rightly judge the acts of other people. We may not see immediate results from our prayers, but we can trust God will one day right all wrongs. God wants us to love others today.

Through much prayer and reading my Bible, I slowly developed more patience and love toward my neighbor. As I saw the truck back up, I would take a deep breath and turn away from looking at the unimportant small bare patch of lawn. God changed me. And one day a couple of years later, my neighbor moved.

Ask God to help you love your neighbors by turning away from unimportant irritants.

Tweetable: Is revenge eating at you? 

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.

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

Celebrate God - Caroline Hales

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4 NIV

The tour bus pulled up to the curb to let passengers out at our destination—the Grand Canyon.

Our guide gave first-time visitors a suggestion: “When getting off the bus, cover your eyes and look at the ground. Walk along the path following the fence-line. Once you arrive at the end of the path, uncover your eyes and look.”

I followed the instructions. And the sight was unbelievable. My eyes welled up with tears. I have never seen anything like it before or since. The awesome view far exceeded the pictures.

How could God have created something so majestic? Towering spruce, looking the size of trees in a toy train set, lined the edges of the cliff below. Further away, the trees looked like specks of dust. The Colorado River at the bottom of the Canyon meandered like a ribbon.

The grandeur made me rejoice at the magnificence of God’s creation. My heart praised the Creator for a spectacular view of a small piece of the foundation of the world he created. I imagined the world God intended without brokenness and sin. Perhaps I beheld a glimpse of the perfect world yet to come. I could have stood there for hours gazing at the beauty, mesmerized by the splendor, and offering worship.

When I think of the Grand Canyon, I praise the God who can make such a marvel. And my mind considers even more than his creation. I think of David, who danced before him. And I think of Paul, who wrote to the Philippians, “Rejoice!”

Even on the bad days, I can feel the joy welling up inside for the gift of the Holy Spirit in me. I delight in the hope for a better future. And I celebrate having a Savior who died for me and rose again so I might dwell with him one day in a perfect new world.

What thoughts direct you to rejoice in God?

Tweetable: What are some ways you rejoice in God?

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.

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

A Neighbor’s Hand - Caroline Hales

Serve one another humbly in love. Galatians 5:13 NIV

As I walked along the trail, I saw a child up ahead.

Not of school-age, she screamed and jumped up and down in place. Her dad stood on the trail at the bottom of the hill holding both of their bikes, unsure what to do as he watched her cry hysterically.

As I approached, I gently asked, “Do you need help?”

She nodded.

“What is it you dislike?” I asked.

“Ants!” she said, pointing to the ground where we stood.

Right where she pointed, I saw seven or eight ants crawling on one side of the sidewalk. Although harmless, they terrified her.

“I will walk between you and the ants,” I said. “If one comes near you, I will step on it. Okay?”

She whispered, “Okay.”

We walked together by the insects, as I protected her by walking between her and the ants. After passing them, she ran to her dad.

He called to me, “Thank you!”

The little girl had stopped in her tracks, unable to face the perceived danger alone. An act of kindness from a passer-by allowed her to continue along the trail.

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul referenced doing small acts of love. God loved people so much that he sent his Son, Jesus, to die for our sins. And having shown this kind of love, Jesus calls his followers to love others in the same way.

We can show love by showing up with groceries, offering to listen, writing a thank-you note, and embracing a loved one with a warm hug. Sometimes, such acts are as small as walking between a child and ants. With God’s Spirit living within us, we carry out the greatest command and serve one another in love.

In what way has God called you to love your neighbor today?

Tweetable: Are you being neighborly? 

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.

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.