In Step

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the Christian life and what it means to keep in step with the Spirit of God. Here are some of my thoughts:

Galatians 5:25 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passion and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

In my faith-life I sometimes feel like it’s all about extremes. For example, when it comes to living the Christian Life, it’s all about me or God. Either I’m doing all the work in becoming more the person he wants me to be or he is. But, as I’ve reflected on the last forty-two years of my life, I’ve begun to realize it’s not a “me or him” thing. It’s really a matter of “us.”

I grew up Lutheran and one of the things I appreciate most about the Lutheran church is the emphasis on salvation by grace and not through works. In other words, I can’t save myself, nor should I try to. I can’t get to God on my own. Rather, God brought me back to himself through Jesus Christ.

But, and here’s the big one, I do have some responsibility in the Christian life—not to put out the Spirit’s fire, his work in my life. See, I do believe it’s possible to hamper the Spirit’s power by not falling in step with how he’s leading me.

Living the Christian life on my own would be impossible, there’s no two ways about that. But because I have the power to succeed through the Spirit, the one Christ sent when he left this earth, I have no excuses. I can’t live life for myself anymore, nor should I want to.

It’s not about me or God, him or me. It’s about us working together in harmony as he makes me more and more the person he wants me to be. And here’s the deal, I can either conform to those changes or I can resist them.

Galatians 5:25 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

If I’m truly keeping in step with the Spirit, then the above qualities and traits should be flowing out of me.

Are they flowing out of you? If not, you might want to take some time and reflect on if you are keeping in step with the Spirit of God. If you’re not, what’s the point of being a Christian? Being saved is the beginning-not the beginning, middle and end of the Christian Life. Remember that truth and keep in step with the Spirit not just today, but always.

Galatians 5:25 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passion and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.