Bible Challenge – Galatians 5

“So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.” Galatians 5:16

Guilty! There is so much in this chapter it’s hard to find just one thing to talk about. However, all of them stem from one choice … who I chose to surrender to. Everyday, I can chose to live in my own power, or I can chose to live in the Holy Spirits power.

When I choose to live in my own power, I find myself more likely to give into the sinful desires that are mentioned in this long list of things. Things like, sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, fighting/arguing, jealousy, outburst of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, …. and the list goes on. Because I have chosen to live for myself, with a me first mindset, when this temptation comes, when this desire presents itself, I find myself more likely to give in. EVEN if I know I shouldn’t.

But when I chose to live in the power of the Holy Spirit, there are different attitudes and actions that begin to become a part of my life. Things like, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Now don’t get me wrong, I still experience some of the same temptations, and the desires still present themselves. But I am less likely to give into them because I have chosen to live in the Holy Spirits power, and I’m not striving to please myself, but to please God.

Now I wish I could say that when I look at these two list, that I find myself always surrendering to the Holy Spirits power. However, when I look at that list there are some elements of the Holy Spirits power in my life, but there are still some sinful desires that seem to get the best of me some day’s. Maybe you can relate!

Now here is where the rubber meets the road. If I am going to be free from the sinful desires I have to surrender everything to God. That means every day, every hour, every minute, every second, I chose to live for Him and not myself. I chose to fight against those desires and allow the Holy Spirits power to get me though that situation. As I begin to live for an audience of one and choose to live in the Holy Spirits power, the desire to give into the sinful nature will decrease, and the fruit of the Spirit will increase. So, “since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading IN EVERY PART of our lives.”

Father, today, let me live for an Audience of ONE, choosing to live with and in the Holy Spirits power and choosing not to live in my own power. I surrender! In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.