WOMEN IN STEP – PART FIVE – PEACE

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…” Galatians 5:22a

 “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”  Galatians 5:25

Peace is something we all strive for in our lives.  The slogan from the 60s of “give peace a chance” was sung, put on posters, and became graffiti art on walls in downtown areas.  When we think of peace, what are we really looking for?  In the world’s view, it would be no wars.  At the end of a long day at work, it would be alone time with perfect quiet.  As a young mom, it may be the crying to stop from a child’s bedroom.  We think of a lot of different things when it comes to peace.  Because we desire it, we can easily fall for a false peace in our lives.

What is false peace?

1. If we feel superior because of our knowledge of God, then we become dependent on our own knowledge.  This does not bring about peace with God or the peace of God.  This is arrogant.
2. If we reject God’s Word and embrace our own standard and understanding, it brings about a false peace. This is arrogant.
3. We treat sin as trivial by making excuses for sin, whether it be our own or someone else’s. Sin always brings about separation from God. To trivialize sin is to live in a false peace with God.  This is arrogant.
4. If we allow our hearts to be hardened concerning our sin, then we will feel no shame or guilt for it. No shame for sin can bring about a false peace. This false peace is pride.  This is arrogant.

There is a connection here between false peace and arrogance.  We can deceive ourselves into believing that we are at peace out of our own pride and arrogance.

We need to know the God of peace.

“For he himself is our peace…” Ephesians 2:14a

Jesus is our peace; therefore, without him, we can have no peace.  The peace we seek to bring about ourselves is not real peace.  We can’t produce the peace we need in our lives.  We can seek it however.  We do this by bringing God into the circumstances of our lives rather than trying to do it all in our own will.

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7

The peace of God has to do with our inner being.  It’s a tranquility that results in a close walk with Jesus.  This peace of God is beyond man’s understanding.  We don’t get it because, once again, we can’t produce it ourselves.  We can sit in a quiet closet for hours and not have peace.  Our reach needs to go beyond ourselves to the Word of God, prayer, and counsel from a wise believer.  This is how we experience God’s peace in our circumstances and decisions.  The peace of God is a guard that protects our emotions and our thoughts.

“What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:9

We are called to practice the Word of God by walking in the Spirit.  This is practicing practical ways of living out the Word.  We don’t have a God-life and a Me-life.  It is all a God-life which means that everything we do or say is a reflection of our Savior.  When we practice walking in truth, we enjoy the peace of God.  Even as we practice our faith, God is giving us the ability to do it.  He wants us to enjoy peace with him and gives us the strength to practice.

We need to offer peace to others.

“…Be at peace among yourselves.” 1 Thessalonians 5:13b

As followers of Christ we are to live at peace.  We are NOT to be divisive or combative.  Our heart’s desire should be to put others before ourselves.  The tendency we have to want our own way goes against peace.  Selfishness usually results in broken relationships.  We have to remember who we are in Christ at all times in order to live at peace.

“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceable with all.” Romans 12:18

There will be times in relationships where someone doesn’t want to live at peace.  They may insist on their way, be unforgiving, or desirous of vengeance.   The two words in this verse, “if possible” tell us that there are times when peace in a relationship is not going to happen.  However, we can have peace with God by doing what we know to do is right in the relationship.  Sometimes we need to trust God to take care of the other person’s heart, always remembering to guard our own heart from bitterness.

Let’s keep in step with the Spirit by not settling for a false peace, which is contrary to the real peace of God.  Our hearts need to be checked often for this.  May we seek to enjoy God’s peace as we yield to his leading.

WOMEN IN STEP – PART FOUR

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,…” Galatians 5:22a

 “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”  Galatians 5:25

The word, joy, is said a lot in Christian circles.  We throw the word around without really taking  time to realize what we’re saying.  Our steps will be more in line with the Spirit if we know what real joy is.  Joy is finding contentment and delight in any circumstance.  In other words, it’s the godly response to life.  Joy can be gladness, pleasure, or a peaceful rest.   Let’s take a look at some of the areas where we should find joy.

1. Joy in God

“More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”  Romans 5:11  We are reminded here to find joy in God because of the reconciliation that is given between us and God through Christ.  This guarantees us a future in His presence.  Shouldn’t we find joy in that?

2. Joy in Salvation

We should never get over the saving grace bestowed on us through what Christ did for us on the cross.  In Romans 5:6-10, Paul uses a group of words to describe our condition before salvation.  These words include the following: “still weak”, “ungodly”, “sinners”, and “enemies”.  Because we’re followers of Christ, these words no longer describe us. In Ephesians 1:3-7, Paul uses different words: “blessed”, “chosen”, “holy”, “blameless”, “adopted”, “sons”, “redeemed”, and “forgiven”.  Can you see why we should have joy in our salvation?

3. Joy in Trials

“Count it all joy my brothers, when you meet trails of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” James 1:2-3  Whatever trials we face we can face with joy in the sovereignty of God.  This joy is not a happy cartwheel type of joy but rather one of patience and endurance.  It’s characterized by a reliance on Christ as we go through the trial.  The results are peace in the midst of calamity and confusion; peace in our hearts as we focus on God and his oversight of the trial.  We can trust him.  It is possible to find this type of joy in our trials!

4. Joy in the Word

“Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts.”  Jeremiah 15:16  Jeremiah, being a true prophet of God, loved God’s Word.  As followers of Christ we should find joy in God’s Word.  How do we do that?  First, we must accept God’s Word.  We must embrace it as our own.  We find joy in the words we read and accept the instruction it gives.  This acceptance can lead to a delight in the Word of God.  This means we are extremely satisfied with God’s Word, not just the words, but what they teach.  We can learn from it.  Next we need to speak God’s Word.  Speaking the Word of God should bring us joy as we share the things we are learning.  Is reading the Scriptures a joy or a chore?

Now that we’ve looked at some of the things we should find joy in as we keep in step with the Spirit, we need to consider how to be joyful.

Sing – Do you like to sing?  I do.  There are those who think I sing too much, but singing brings me joy.  Did you know that singing helps us remember?  That’s the way so many have memorized the books of the Bible.  Singing to the Lord gives us the opportunity to praise him but it also gives comfort.  In the midst of a difficult circumstance, we can sing to the Lord, reminding ourselves of who he is and find joy in his presence.  “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!” Psalm 98:4

Shout – Do you shout very much?  Probably not.  We have a tendency to shout to get someone’s attention or at a sporting event or in fear or excitement.  Joy to the Lord is a great reason to shout. “Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!  Shout for joy in the Lord…” Psalm 32:11-33:1a 

Leap –  When was the last time you leapt?  It’s been a long time for me.  Picture a happy lamb in a pasture skipping and leaping for joy. The lamb is content with where he is and skips about to show his enjoyment.  Even when people treat us with hate, rejection, or insult because of Christ, we can leap for joy because of eternity to come.  “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!  Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven:…” Luke 6:22-23a

Are you keeping in step with the Spirit by displaying joy?  Is your joy evident?  Are you full of joy?  Do others see your joy? What makes your face light up? Our growth in joy may be in having joy for the wrong things – joy in our job, joy in our family, joy in money, joy in health, joy in the things of the world, the pleasurable things.  These joys are idols, and we spend more time worshiping these joys than we do Jesus.  These worldly joys will only lead to sorrow, but that sorrow can turn to joy when we repent and destroy these idols of our heart.  We must see that compared to Jesus, these things are NOTHING!

 

I’m Seeing Things…Life with Dad

In my care of my dad some new things are beginning to develop in his life.  These things have to do with what he sees.  My dad was diagnosed with macular degeneration when he was in his early 60s.

“Macular degeneration is the leading cause of severe, irreversible vision loss in people over age 60. It occurs when the small central portion of the retina, known as the macula, deteriorates. The retina is the light-sensing nerve tissue at the back of the eye. Because the disease develops as a person ages, it is often referred to as age-related macular degeneration.” (Quote from WebMD)

This condition has literally left him basically blind.  It has been a progression.  He lost his license to drive when he was in his 70s.  He wasn’t happy about that but it was best for him and everyone else on the road.  I’m not sure exactly how much he can see but I know that in his own home, he can navigate fairly well.  However, it’s unnerving when I’m sitting across from him and he speaks to the right as if I’m standing there.  He just doesn’t know where I am.  It has to be extremely hard to live with this.  I know it’s his major complaint most of the time.

There is so much that he misses.  He can’t see the flowers in bloom or the tomatoes on his vines.  He doesn’t get to appreciate the sunrise or sunset.  If someone has a new car, he can’t see it.  The expressions on faces are lost for him.  The smiles of others given to him are unaccepted.  My heart breaks for him in the losses he experiences because of his condition.  But now he seems to be experiencing sight of things that aren’t there.

He shared with me the other day that he was seeing people.  It’s not the first time he’s seen people that aren’t there.  He had an elaborate story about dancing people in the street with fireworks a couple of weeks ago.  My thought is that he sleeps most of the day and his dreams are becoming very vivid.  So much so that he believes them to be true.  When I correct him and tell him there’s no one else around, he hangs his head.  How hard for him!  He says, “I’m seeing things.”  His mind is playing tricks on him and I wish I could make it stop for him but I can’t.

I can be like dad and see things.  How many times do we see what we want to see?  We color our world with our own perceptions instead of truth.  Our desire is for what we want and we’ll seek to see it happening.  We can even put words in God’s mouth by saying things like, “this is what God told me” or “this is what God wants me to do”.  When we look at our world and see what we want to see, our world is revolving around us and not God.  This world was created by God and is his, not ours.  So how are we to look at the world or our circumstances?

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and the perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  Hebrews 12:2 NIV

Do you see the terminology here?  We are to fix our eyes on Jesus.  What does that mean?  This is all about concentration on Jesus and what he’s accomplished for us.  As we move through this life we need to always remember that the gospel of Jesus is truth.  There’s our lens for life.  It’s not about what we want to see or think we see but about the truth of what Jesus has done for us.  This is so helpful because frankly, life can be very hard at times.  We need to fix our eyes on Jesus, not on the circumstances of life.

Another great reason for concentrating on Jesus is so that we’ll be able to rejoice in all the things the Lord is doing around us.  We get to see the blessings when we concentrate on Jesus.  By doing this we’ll develop a heart of gratitude rather than a disappointed heart when life doesn’t go our way.  Even in the difficult things of life God is at work and we can trust the work he’s doing on our behalf.

We need to be aware that we can have spiritual macular degeneration.  Our eyes can become accustomed to seeing the dark side of everything rather than the light of Jesus in everything.  As I care for my dad my desire is to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus.  I’m not always successful in my endeavors but God is always successful in his.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for god, for those who are called according to his purpose.  For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first born among many brothers.”               Romans 8:28-29

WOMEN IN STEP – PART THREE

“And he (Jesus) said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it:  You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”  Matthew 22:37-39

We have established as followers of Christ we need to imitate God by loving.  The first one we are commanded to love is God.  We must love him with all that we are.  Then we’re to love our neighbor.  Who is our neighbor?  Jesus answers this question in the parable of the Good Samaritan.  (Luke 10:25-37)  The conclusion from this is that the one who was an enemy actually was the one who acted like a neighbor.  So what can we learn about how to love others from this?

We need to have the heart of a neighbor.

1. We will meet another person’s needs.  It means getting out of our comfortable chair and stretching our spiritual muscles to someone else.  This may come at a cost.  The action we take is loving to our neighbor.  In doing this, we need to remember the action of love God had for us.  “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  Romans 5:8  This love came at a great cost to Jesus; his life.  But, we needed his sacrifice and he knew it.  He fulfilled the payment for our sins.  What a loving neighbor!
2. We will show mercy to others. This is hard for us.  We want to see someone “pay” for their sins.  We compare their weaknesses to our strengths.  Our judgment of them follows.  God has great mercy for us.  This mercy shows up in the compassion shown for those who are perishing.  “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, bit that all should reach repentance.”  2 Peter 3:9  We see God is patient and compassionate.  He treats us that way and expects that we, in turn, will treat our neighbor the same.  Love shows mercy and compassion not judgment.

We need to see strangers as neighbors.

“Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.”  Deuteronomy 10:19  The word used here for sojourner is a word that means foreigner, temporary resident, or a newcomer.  God is reminding the people of Israel that they were foreigners in Egypt so they can relate to the position.  This is true of all of us.  We have had times in our lives when we were the newbie or the odd one out.  We didn’t feel like we belonged.  How encouraging it is when someone reaches out to us with loving kindness. We need to be aware of people who fit this category.  We use so many excuses to get out of being involved in the life of a stranger.  These may include embarrassment, fear of rejection, or not knowing what to say.  These all come from being focused on self rather than others.  There are no excuses.  We must love within the church by reaching out to the strangers who walk through our door.  We should see strangers as neighbors who need to be loved well.

We need to love our enemies.

“But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” Matthew 5:44

1. The word used for enemy in this verse means one who is hateful, hostile or opposes us. This definitely sounds like someone we don’t want to be around much.  Jesus doesn’t stop with the love of this type of person, but goes on to say that we should pray for those who persecute us.  The word “persecute” means to harass, trouble or molest.  We are called to love and pray for this type of person! What good will this do for us?
2. Loving an enemy puts Christ on display. He is the ultimate example of what it looks like to love the unlovely.  We were all the enemy of God, and yet He loved us enough to sacrifice his son for us.  When we love those who are enemies to us, we are displaying Christ’s love.
3. Loving an enemy can be part of the means God uses to draw someone to himself. God uses us to accomplish his purposes.  He uses us to be witnesses of his great salvation.  How humbling that he uses us, who were once his enemies, to draw other enemies to the cross of Christ to save them!

If we are going to be women in step with the Spirit, we are going to have to love our neighbors.  In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis says this about love.

“Love, in the Christians sense, does not mean an emotion.  It is a state not of the feelings but of the will; that state of the will which we have naturally about ourselves, and must learn to have about other people.”

Let’s keep in step with the Spirit by enacting our will to love God and others!

TO BE NEEDED…LIFE WITH DAD

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”     Galatians 6:9

God calls us to do many different tasks in our lives.  These tasks have been designed for us in order to bring God glory.  One of the tasks that I have is to take care of my dad.  I know that many people are caring for elderly parents, grandparents, or other relatives.  It’s not always easy, but God works on us in the hard times of life.  Sometimes we just get tired.  Perhaps I shouldn’t speak for you, but I just get tired.  When we’re tired our thinking can go awry.

The thing that is so tempting to do when we’re tired is to give up.  When we give up, we stop.  We stop pursuing good.  We stop being involved in the lives of others.  We stop being who we know we are.  As followers of Christ, our identity is Christ!  Our lives SHOULD reflect this identity in order to point others to Christ.  Our minds need to recall how Christ didn’t give up on us.  He went all the way to the cross in order to pay the penalty for our sins.  In repenting of our sins and accepting his payment for us, we become one with Christ.  The memory of his sacrifice should spur us on to make our own sacrifices, but we get tired.  We need help in order to not give up.  Our help comes from the Lord in the form of the Holy Spirit within, the Word of God, and the people of God.

When I’m tired, I don’t always remember the help God has provided for me.  The fact that Jesus said the Holy Spirit would be our “helper” doesn’t really come to my mind.  The verses I know are hard to remember when I’m tired.  My mind doesn’t want to focus on verses but instead focuses on the fact that I’m tired.  I don’t seek out people to help either.  The all-consuming thoughts of being tired are just that…all-consuming.  Let me tell you what God used to get my attention off myself and my tiredness and onto him.

Each day, I see my dad in the morning and in the afternoon after work.  I check on his food, put out his medication, and help him with his teeth.  In the afternoon, I cut him a piece of pie and sit with him while he eats it.  We have a conversation; at least as much as you can converse with someone who can’t hear you.  That’s the routine and it’s not an exhausting one.  It’s a habit I have and will continue until the Lord decides it’s my dad’s time to leave this earth.  The weekends are a bit different.  On Saturdays I visit once instead of twice but Sundays are twice again.  It was on a Saturday when the Lord got my attention.

My brother, Don, was at dad’s  house on a Saturday morning when I pulled up on my bike.  Don and dad were in the garage so I just went into the house and worked on my regular tasks.  They came in as I was just finishing up.  I asked if dad had eaten his lunch.  He hadn’t so I heated it up in the microwave for him.  At that point, I prepared to leave because I wanted to give the guys time to talk.  As I always do I asked, “Is there anything else you need before I go?”  This is when God got a hold of me because of my dad’s answer.  He said, “I just need you.”  Then he grabbed me and gave me a big hug.

“I just need you.”  God spoke to me in my tiredness that day and every day since.  His words were plain to me.  This is the place God wants me.  My dad needs me but God needs me to do what he’s called me to do without reservation.  I can’t do what I need to do without the help of God.  Instead of allowing myself to give into my tired thinking, I need to remember that my dad needs me and God has given me the Holy Spirit, His Word, and the people of God to help me.  Who needs you?  Is it a chore for you to serve someone?  Do you get tired?  Welcome to the world of humanity.  The truth is we need each other to accomplish the tasks God has prepared for us to do.

When was the last time you expressed to God, “I just need you”?

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”  Ephesians 2:10 

WOMEN IN STEP – PART TWO

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.  And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2

Women who are keeping in step with the Spirit and are being led by the Spirit will walk in love.  We are called to imitate God, who loves perfectly and chose to love us while we were still sinners.  To walk in love, we must first realize that love is not an emotion but a choice we make.  Love is an act of our will.  We must love whom the Scriptures say we are to love.  As children of God, we should want to be like our Father who loves completely.  Let’s begin by reviewing who our first love should be…God.

“’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’” Matthew 22:37

This is a command spelling out how we are to love God.  This love includes our thoughts, reasoning, understanding, will, judgment, affections, intellect, and emotions. In other words, our whole being is to love God.  The Scriptures give us some specifics about loving God, which we need to take seriously in our walk of love.

Love God’s Name

“For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.” Hebrews 6:10

We’re to love God’s name.  This love is evidenced by our service to the body of Christ.  When we serve others, we are putting Christ on display and honoring his name to those we serve and those who observe us.  The love of God’s name is evidence of his grace to us.  When we display Christ in service, our salvation is evident.  It’s the saving grace of God which brings us into position to love his name.  Do we think about God’s name in a loving way?  Are we influenced by our culture, which takes God’s name and abuses it?  Is God’s name just taken for granted by us?  We need to treasure the name of God and display our love for it with our service to others.

Love God’s salvation

“But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, ‘Great is the LORD!’” Psalm 40:16

God is the one who saves.  The salvation of the Lord to the Psalmist, David, refers to the help he receives from the Lord and the deliverance from his enemies and his own sin.  This applies to us, as followers of Christ, because we fail to recognize God as the one who has saved us.  We’re tempted to think it’s our own doing.  But it’s God’s doing which should cause us to be humble before him.  We should love our salvation which results in the recognition of the greatness of God which results in praise. Are you apathetic concerning the gospel?  Are you just concerned about going to heaven?  Do you equate salvation with your life? We should NEVER get over our salvation but, more than that, love the giver of salvation, God.

Love God’s Word

“Oh how I love your law!  It is my meditation all the day.” Psalm 119:97

The Word of God is not just dead words on a page.  They are “living and active” according to Hebrews 4:12.  The words are “God-breathed” according to 2 Timothy 3:16.  All of these descriptions make it evident that the Scripture is from God, given to us in order for us to learn and grow as his children.  If we love God’s Word the result will be meditation during the day.  To meditate is to reflect on and be devoted to the Word.  It’s not sitting cross-legged and humming.  It’s thinking about what we’ve read during the day.  When we love the Word, we’ll take a theme or a few words of what we read to stimulate our thinking. Is your reading of the Word just a check list?  Do you consider the words you read or just plow through them?   When we love God’s Word, it will result in a life that pleases God.  The influence of the Word of God will drive us to do what it says.

Love is not our idea, it’s God’s.  John tells us in 1 John 4 that “God is love” and “We love because He first loved us.”  Our perfect Father is the one we are to imitate.  We must seek to keep in step with him by walking in love.  A child will hold an adult’s hand seeking safety and direction.  Women in step with the Spirit will hold onto their Father’s hand allowing him to lead and keep them safe.

“The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand.” Psalm 37:23-24

WOMEN IN STEP – PART ONE

“If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25

Fitbits, pedometers, and the iPhone Health App are used by so many of us to track our steps for the day.  We have a goal of the number of steps we want to accomplish for the day, and we work hard to achieve it.  It’s like we’re in competition with ourselves as we watch the numbers go up with every step.  The idea is that the exercise will bring about health to our bodies, which is a good thing.  We will accomplish this unless, of course, we are walking and eating ice cream after ice cream at the same time.  This will result in great leg muscles and clogged arteries.  Common sense tells us that the steps without the ice cream are more feasible for health.  So why do we insist on taking our spiritual steps with our minds focused on the things of the world?

As followers of Christ, the Holy Spirit came to indwell us at the moment God saved us.  This means that the Holy Spirit is available to us every step we take in this life.  Let’s look at six characteristics of the Holy Spirit.

1. He convicts – Our original conviction of our sins was brought about by the Holy Spirit.  After salvation, he still convicts us because we are sinners.  He brings shame and guilt to bear on us to drive us to repentance.  “And when he (Holy Spirit) comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” John 16:8

2. He testifies – The Holy Spirit, in obedience to the Father, will give evidence of who Christ is.  As we read the Word, the Holy Spirit reveals to us more and more about Christ.  When you testify of Christ, you are acting in tandem with the Holy Spirit, who is working silently through your words and actions.  “But when the Helper (Holy Spirit) comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.”  John 15:26 (said by Jesus)
3. He leads – The Holy Spirit leads us through the Word of God in our everyday life. He impresses the truth on our hearts so that we have direction as we take our steps.  Our lives should no longer be identified with our sinful flesh, which operates under the law, but by the Spirit and the grace of God. “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” Galatians 5:18
4. He intercedes – The Holy Spirit will step in our place and pray for us. He knows our hearts and knows the will of God.  He prays perfectly for us when we don’t even know what or how to pray.  “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” Romans 8:26
5. He guides – The Holy Spirit guides us and reveals truth to us as we read the Word of God. He also reveals truth to us daily as we pray and ask for truth.  His guidance gives us wisdom so we can make choices in our lives that are pleasing to God. “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” John 16:13a

There are many other characteristics of the Holy Spirit which help us daily.  As followers of Christ we should depend on the Spirit for guidance and power.  The Spirit wants to be depended upon.  We have to yield our will to his in our everyday life in order to be dependent on him.  Our independence is so very important to us. In fact, we could say we are in competition with ourselves in our independence.  We desire to grow in our ability to handle life by ourselves.  This desire is contrary to walking by the Spirit.  Our calling is to be dependent on the Spirit and display his fruit in our lives.

If only there were a Fitbit to measure our display of the fruit of the Spirit!  There is a Fitbit, and it’s called vulnerability.  We have to be willing to ask our brothers and sisters how we’re doing in our walk.  Being accountable to others is necessary for our growth.  I don’t want to know about my weaknesses, but the truth is, I do need to know.  When I wear a Fitbit, I keep looking at my steps because I want to improve.  My walk in the Spirit is more important than that.  I need to know my weaknesses.  I need to know how I’m doing in my spiritual walk so that I can seek to become more dependent on the Spirit and less dependent on myself.