14TH AUGUST
Galatians 5:22-25
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”
The Christian life only works when we allow the Holy Spirit to live his way of life through us!
We can achieve a measure of goodness in our activities on our own strength, but it is only surface goodness. We live that way to meet up to other’s expectations, or to assuage our own conscience, or to try and live up to a moral standard; but that goodness does not flow from who we are—our inner life. We are still fallen beings, full of selfishness and pride and independence.
The Holy Spirit restores our inner lives. His inner life overflows with goodness and the fullness of God’s character. As we say to him, “I can’t live that way, but you can, and you are in me,” he not only changes the way we act but changes our very inner being to be more like Christ. Then the godly life just flows from you, instead of draining you.
God wants you, rather than trying hard to live for him, to allow him to live through you.
MAKE IT PERSONAL:
Who or what is pressuring you to be something you are not and shape your identity? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand who you are in Jesus and the things you can achieve for his kingdom.