I snapped at my daughter and made her feel small again. I regretted it right after but it was too late, damage was done. I still do the things I don’t want to do. I don’t love well. I don’t protect well.
I want to be a man, you know a real man. I want to be God’s man but I find it very hard to fight the old man.
I have been reading through Galatians and this verse is sticking in my head.
Galatians 16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
The real work is done my God. I am not saying we don’t fight temptation or run from it as Joseph does Potiphar’s wife. The point I am making is that Christ in me is the power that effect the power to fight. Notice that Paul is clear to give Flesh and Spirit as opposing forces. Whichever of these forces you choose to focus on or spend time with will be a deterrent to the other. The thing that is at work here is love. As I am spending time with the Spirit(Christ) I am falling more in love. I am recognizing the depths of His love for me and the true measure of His sacrifice for me, a wretch. This leads me to obedience.
I know as I was a child I obeyed my parents out of fear of discipline but then as I grew older I obeyed out of love and respect for them. God is calling me to love and respect Him and thus obedience.
Will we ever be perfect? No. But I love Jesus and I want to grow closer to Him. Even Paul says “For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.”
Leave a Reply