Freely Overcoming Difficulty

Life typically comes at us a hundred miles an hour. We make preparations but many times, it doesn’t pan out like we had planned. Some of us are working through family issues, a difficult marriage or prodigal kids. Some of us have extended illnesses or trying to overcome cancer. Others have a tremendous amount of stress in your work environment or financial issues. Some of us suffered the loss of someone dear you thought would be around for a while longer. Hardship is a part of life but you don’t have to walk through it alone.

Paul tells us in Galatians 6 that God gives us a spirit of power and strength, not one of timidity. Paul is animate that when we say “yes” to Jesus as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit lives within us and then through the power of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, we can overcome anything life throws our way. Indeed, we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength.

First in Galatians 6, Paul reminds us that in Jesus, we’ll never walk alone. Verses 1, 2, and 6, he gives us some of the “one another” reminders. In fact, there are 59 times in the New Testament where followers of Jesus are reminded that we are in this thing called life, together! We are reminded that we bear each other’s burdens. No one in Christ ever needs to struggle alone. We have the Holy Spirit but also each other as the family of God.

Other writers remind us to accept one another, love one another, serve one another, bear with each other, be patient with each other, forgive one another, pray for one another and honor each other. Over and over we are reminded when you say “yes” to Jesus, you are adopted into the family of God and treated as family.

Secondly, Paul reminds us in Galatians 6 that with the Holy Spirit living within us, we’ll have an “I won’t quit” attitude in life. The world will never stops giving it to you in bad and difficult ways. There will be days you will want to give up, throw in the towel, and walk away. That’s what the enemy wants you to do.

When I was in basic military training in the 80s, I got off the bus and thought, “What have I done?” Drill instructors were yelling at me constantly. We had to do all kinds of PT and training. Up early every morning. More yelling. Our drill instructor told us in the dorm, here’s a brass bell. If you can’t handle it, just ring the bell and I’ll get you out of here.

For those of us who want to change the world for Jesus, we cannot ring the bell. Things will get difficult from time to time but that’s when we remember we have family in Jesus that will help carry our burden.

Finally, Paul reminds us when you live into the Gospel, the fear of humans shrink and glorying God grows. You begin to discover that you really don’t care what others might say about you or do to you. What matters is the Gospel story and helping others in the world see that there is a better way. Paul says that he was crucified to the world and the world no longer cares about him either. So should it be for all of us who follow Jesus.

Paul finishes by saying, “What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation.” So that’s my prayer for you. Follow Jesus closely. So closely, the dust of your rabbi settles upon you. Allow the Holy Spirit to work in your life. Difficulties will come. That’s a promise Jesus told us while he was on earth. But he went on to say, have no fear, though, for I have overcome the world. Blessings on your journey.

Freedom and Fruit

In the early ‘90s, I sang with a country music group called Crystal River. We did a monthly 2-hour music show. There were 8 of us and our group numbers together required us to dance during each number. Well, this guy had two left feet and it was hard for me to learn to keep in step with everyone. I did it with lots of practice but it took great effort on my part.

Paul tells us in Galatians 5:25 to “keep in step with the Spirit.” Chapter 5 is all about Paul contrasting several things as he reminds followers of Christ to walk in the Spirit and be led by the Spirit of God.

Paul consistently tells us it is not about how much work you do but it’s the work of Jesus on the cross that makes us right with God. He says in verse 6, “What counts is faith expressing itself through love”. Paul knows a false gospel has been introduced to the church. It’s a gospel that says you need Jesus but you also have the keep the Law. In other words, Jesus is important but keep checking boxes and doing things or God will never be happy with you.

All through Galatians 5, Paul tells us what the real gospel is all about. It’s about what Jesus has done, not about what you do that makes you right with God. He reminds us that the Spirit is greater than the flesh. I often think about the persecution the early followers experienced. The battle that must have gone on internally was no doubt incredibly tense. Most of them had to decide to follow Jesus and die or cave to the fleshly desire to live and walk away from Jesus.

See, our flesh is concerned with performance and presentation. The Law of the flesh says that we want to be seen, honored, respected, and admired. We selfishly pursue those things that will give credit to our sinful nature. We live in this performance-based world and we tend to carry that mentality into our spiritual life.

But the Spirit is concerned with changing our hearts. The Spirit of God wants to move us from hate to love, from a depressed state to one of joy; from chaos to peaceful living, from a non-compassionate spirit to one of kindness; from corrupt living to living the goodness of God; from being untrustworthy to being faithful; from having a heart full of anger to having one of gentleness; from having a short temper to being a person of patience; from being nomadic to being self-controlled.

Paul boils down how to know if you’re keeping in step with flesh or with the Spirit. He lists how we live into our fleshly desires by giving us 15 different ways of living that are not of God. He says, if it’s evident your life has in it “sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties…”, you are living into your fleshly desires. Paul goes on to say if the above represents your life, you will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

But then reminds us that we are called to live like Jesus by listing the fruit of the Spirit which are “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Paul says we should live this way in abundance every day. It’s then we look like Jesus and are in step with the Spirit.

If you’re brave, you’ll ask someone you love and respect how your life looks. Does it look like your following a selfish path or one that your characteristics look more like the Jesus way? My hope is you’re brave enough to incorporate the fruit of the Spirit in your life…that you are keeping in step with the Spirit. With freedom in Christ, you have all the tools you need to become more like our savior everyday. You no longer have to abide by the desire of the flesh. Embrace Jesus and keep in step with the Spirit. Blessings on your journey.