Thursday, June 23rd- Yield To The Spirit

Why is it that some of the best things in life can sound so unappealing to us things like holiness, obedience, Spirit control, and faith, for instance? Why do they so often trigger a sudden yawn rather than wet eyes of thankful emotions? Could it be that we’ve underrated their value?

The freedom Christ promises is not without a daily war or conflict within us between submit- ting to the leadership of the Spirit and the submitting to the desires of the flesh. If you have come to faith in Christ, there is a conflict, a war within you that is waged every waking moment of your life. Many times it is apparent and you know it; other times you do not even know it. That is because we are spiritually numb to the sin we are engaging in. This conflict is because the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh and the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit. The flesh wants to keep you from doing the things you want to do

A truly Spirit-controlled person won’t cheat on a spouse, abuse a child, or forge on an income tax return. A Christ controlled person isn’t even likely to kick the family dog, or watch the best of intentions evaporate while lounging in front of a television.

Every believer in Christ faces a constant challenge to live a pure life (Galatians 5:17). Has that moment-by-moment walk under the Holy Spirit’s guidance seemed too difficult lately? It’s possible we’ve been underrating what should be of greatest value to us. The cost to us and our loved ones may be tremendous.

If we find ourselves yielding to temptation again and again, perhaps we need to take stock of what’s really important. It’s time to learn to walk in the Spirit instead of sacrificing life’s best for the shortsighted, self-destructive desires of the flesh. If we take a stand for Christ, we’re not likely to fall for the devil.

Pray today that the Lord should sort you out to live your life free from selfishness and strife so

that others clearly see changes God is making in you.