Choosing Wisely
ICS Daily Devotions
Galatians 5:14-15 (NKJV) For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!
We have read about how Christian family members have bitten and devoured one another through words and lawsuits. Some of the divorce cases among Christians can get very ugly especially when it has to do with the division of assets and child custody. However, all of this can be prevented if we choose to walk in love, deal with the differences before the sun sets, and not allow offenses to simmer. Walking in the Spirit means to walk in love and love fulfills the law. We have the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to overcome the temptation to devour one another through our words and actions. We have a choice! Love helps us to overcome being offended to retain the joy and peace in our lives—that’s living the abundant life. God has given us many promises in the Bible that pertain to life and godliness, but we must take by faith what rightfully belongs to us.
Unity in the family, the church, and the office doesn’t happen by chance. It takes a lot of dying to ourselves, picking up the cross, and denying ourselves so we can walk in love, extend grace, and forgive others as the Lord has forgiven us. We live in an imperfect world filled with imperfect people including all of us in the church. There is no perfect church in this world until we are in heaven. Therefore, we will be very disappointed if we look to men and not to God for strength and encouragement. There will be words uttered either in judgment or comparison either knowingly, unknowingly, or innocently.
Every one of us is growing at a very different rate in our Christian life. God is still working in us and pruning our character including the pastor. If we neglect to work on the offenses, we will allow resentment, jealousy, and all kinds of the work of the flesh to grow within us. We will be walking in “40 years of wilderness” if we always choose to be offended. On the contrary, we can choose to walk in love to take hold of the abundant life. We can choose not to be offended and keep our peace and joy. This is following God wholeheartedly and having a different spirit so that we can live the abundant life.
We are given a promise as a church to represent Him to the community. He has given us a strategy to reach the community. Are we flowing with the church’s vision of reaching out to the lost as a body of believers who follow God wholeheartedly while stepping out in faith, or are we pulling in a different direction murmuring and complaining?
Sermon Series: Having a Different Spirit
