Your Typical Day Might Reveal More About You Than You Notice

What’s driving your life, your thoughts, your daily actions? What’s on your mind—a lot? What occupies your schedule? What do you do a lot of? Where do you spend your time, energy, thoughts, and feelings? What does your typical day look like? The answer to those questions might reveal more than you are taking note of.

TWO FORCES INSIDE OF US

Today I read: “Our sinful selves want what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit wants what is against our sinful selves. The two are against each other, so you cannot do just what you please.” (Galatians 5:17 NCV)

So what does that mean? The Apostle Paul was trying to explain the freedom we have in Christ. The Galatians were beginning to think, “It’s what you do that makes you right with God.” Paul was saying, no. It’s trusting in what Christ did—not what you do—that makes you free, gives you peace, and makes you right with God.

But Paul also said that freedom does not mean you can just do whatever you please.

THE BATTLE INSIDE OF US

He explains that there is still a battle inside of us. Our sinful nature wants one thing, and the Holy Spirit wants another. Then Paul gets very specific: “The wrong things the sinful self does are clear: being sexually unfaithful, not being pure, taking part in sexual sins, worshiping gods, doing witchcraft, hating, making trouble, being jealous, being angry, being selfish, making people angry with each other, causing divisions among people, feeling envy, being drunk, having wild and wasteful parties, and doing other things like these.” (Galatians 5:19-21 NCV)

THE REALITY OF WHO WE ARE

Many of us might read that list and think, Well, I don’t really do those things. Maybe not all of them. But we do love doing what we love to do.

Many worship a god of food, alcohol, money, success, comfort, entertainment, or even self. We want to be noticed and most of the time, it’s all about us.

Many live with unforgiveness, and that can become anger and division. Many are working so hard to get ahead that envy (jealousy) may be driving more of their life than they realize.

We may not be attending wild and wasteful parties, but we can still worship our schedule, our entertainment, our comfort, and anything else that keeps us from slowing down and facing what is really going on in our hearts.

Your typical day may be revealing what is really ruling your life.

CHOICES - WHICH ONES ARE YOU PICKING

So what does following the Spirit look like? A lot of it comes down to choices.

Do I love God, or do I keep choosing myself? Do I live for myself, or do I give myself to others and love them as I love myself? Do I follow what I feel, or do I follow what the Holy Spirit is telling me?

As we follow the Spirit, something begins to grow in us: “But the Spirit produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23 NCV)

How are these things looking in your life? Not perfectly, but are they growing? Are you becoming more loving, more patient, more peaceful, more kind, more faithful, more gentle, and more self-controlled?

ARE YOU WHO YOU THINK YOU ARE

Here’s the scary part. Paul says that people whose lives are continually ruled by the sinful nature “will not inherit God’s kingdom.” (Galatians 5:21 NCV) He is not saying a true believer never struggles with sin. In fact, he just told us there is a battle going on inside of us. But he is saying that something should be changing.

He says: “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their own sinful selves. They have given up their old selfish feelings and the evil things they wanted to do.” (Galatians 5:24 NCV)

Have you really done this in your life? Don’t get me wrong. You will still desire bad things. You will still be tempted. You will still have selfish thoughts. But the old life no longer gets to be in charge.

So what is in charge of your life?

GOING FORWARD - CONCLUSION

When the old things rise up in your life, what do you do? Follow the Spirit. Why? Because you love the Spirit. You love Christ. You love God. You love others … more than you love yourself.

But do you? That’s really the question on the table today. Whichever voice you continually follow will eventually become visible in the fruit of your life.

So maybe - this should be our (my) prayer:

LORD, there is still a battle inside of me. My sinful nature wants one thing, and Your Spirit wants another. Help me fall in love with You, not my desires. Please crucify the selfish desires that pull me away from You. Holy Spirit, please produce love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in my life. Today, help me follow Your Spirit one decision at a time. Help me pause and pray for the Holy Spirit’s strength when I am tempted. Thank You for Jesus Christ, who gave me a new life and broke the power of my old sinful nature. Help me know that I truly belong to Christ and that He is my Lord and Savior. IJNIP amen ♥️

(Oldest lighthouse in the UK - and of course my sweet wifey ♥️)