Keeping in Step?

My husband is taller than I am and has longer legs. He also walks with longer strides than most people. Because of that, I cannot keep up to him matching strides. He usually remembers to slow down or take shorter steps — after years of listening to me telling him he is going too fast.

The Holy Spirit asks me to walk with Him too, but His request is not usually about speed or length of strides. Instead, it is about the way I act along the path. He says . . .

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”

First, He lists works of the flesh: “sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these” warning that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Stay away from all that.

Next, He lists the fruit of the Spirit, that is, the actions and attitudes I need to match as I walk with Him. They are: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control and against such things there is no law.”

Finally, He adds in two more positive qualities and three more works of the flesh: “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. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” (Galatians 5:16–26)

This makes it easy to know whether I’m walking in the Spirit, sort of. It gets complicated because the fruit of the Spirit is not for me but for others. If I start examining myself for fruitfulness, the flesh can quickly take advantage and I become self-focused, which is NOT a spiritual fruit.

It is easier to let the first list of fleshy works be a warning that I’m out of step. If I’m even thinking that stuff, I need to talk to the Lord and get back on track with Him.

A Christian writer once said that when she tries to be like Jesus, self becomes more evident, but when she is just ‘herself’ people say they see Jesus in her. This is key. The person who walks with the Holy Spirit is not thinking about or trying to promote themselves or anything personal. They are transparent and carefree. Jesus can be seen in them. The person who walks in the flesh is trying to promote themselves (even if it is to be ‘more spiritual’) and that hides Jesus.

I’m trying to make sense. Walking with the Spirit is something the Spirit does in me. When I try to do it, “I” become the focus and begin walking in the desires of the flesh.

^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, from experience and from Your instruction, I know what this involves, but it is difficult to explain. I know I’m to live like a child, carefree and not self-conscious. I also know that as soon as I or someone else points out that I am doing it right, I usually take my eyes off You, become full of care or pride about what I am doing. Thank You for setting me free instead, free to be who You created me to be!

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)