June 18, 2020

Galatians 5
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

I have three children. They like to compete at everything. It’s a race to see who can make it down the driveway first, who can put their seatbelt on first, who can eat their breakfast first. Whoever finishes first always proceeds to say, “I won!” They want me and my wife to recognize each accomplishment. Most of the time they don’t stop at “I won.” They continue to agitate their other sibblings saying things like, “I was faster than you” or “I’m better than you.” They do this to irritate their sibling. Most of the time they accomplish the task of irritating them. Looking back at my childhood I would say my siblings and I were the same way.
This is childish behavior. The sad thing is that most adults still act this way. We desire to be recognized as the best at something, we pick at each other, and often desire what others have or are able to do. 1 Corinthians 13:11 says… “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” As mature believers we are to put away these childish behaviors. This is what it means to crucify the flesh. We are to put our fleshly desires in submission to the Holy Spirit. Yielding to the Holy Spirit takes practice. It’s easy to begin our day with our devotions and at the end of the day realize we haven’t been walking in the Spirit. I challenge you today to begin the practice of yielding to the spirit. Set a reminder on your phone, put a post it note on your desk or refrigerator reminding you to yield to Him. Your spiritual life will grow the more often you yield to Him.
Jacob Jarriel