Walk
In the Spirit
For you, brethren, have
been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the
flesh, but through love serve one another.
For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love
your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest
you be consumed by one another!
I say then: Walk in the
Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For
the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these
are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you
wish. But if you are led by the Spirit,
you are not under the law.
Now the works of the
flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry,
sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish
ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and
the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past,
that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the
Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
self-control. Against such there is no law.
And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions
and desires. If we live in the Spirit,
let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us
not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Galatians
5:13-26
Many of the Proverbs
challenge us to think about how to respond when people get in the way of our
plans. It is written, “Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring
calm in the end.”
Growing in patience and
kindness seems pretty difficult at times. But the apostle Paul says it is the
work of God. As we cooperate with Him and depend on Him, He produces that fruit
in us. Please change us Lord.
God
tests our patience to enlarge our hearts.
Our
Daily Bread – February 8, 2016