Chances are that at some point in your life you’ve heard a well-meaning parent, teacher, or leader say, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Terrible advice, if you think about it. We are social beings, imitators. We learn every aspect of our lives by watching those around us. We intuitively understand that a better way lies in another overused phrase: “Practice what you preach.”
Following Jesus means a lifetime invitation to not just do what He said, but live as He lived. But how can twenty-first-century believers imitate a first-century rabbi?
Paul’s letters show us how the early Church navigated these questions just a few decades removed from Jesus’s ministry, death, and resurrection. Galatians was written, in part, to address the issue of rites and rituals to a church who had become divided over the role of the law in salvation. Paul offers this: “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). Trusting and walking with the Spirit offers freedom. It also makes things a little more complicated.
Instead of chasing shifting norms with an “in or out” mindset, life in the Spirit is a multi-faceted, intuitive path. One Spirit gives “different gifts” for the common good—wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, and discernment, to name a few (1Corinthians 12:4–11) It seems that in God’s wisdom He both gives a variety of gifts as well as incorporates a diversity of personalities, cultures, and styles for worship in His global family. But within this diversity, how do we discern what is actually from the Spirit when some things clearly are not?
Once again, the natural world has a lot to teach us through flowering, fruitful trees—“the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23). Just as an apple tree produces apples, a person rooted in the Spirit produces life and goodness. As the Old Testament prophet Micah asserts, it’s not meticulous rule-keeping God is after, but instead for us “to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
If the Holy Spirit is living in you and me, then we can trust we have everything we need. Sure, there are times when we need to lean on our trusted community to help us discern or humbly receive challenges and critique. Of course, we need to grow our wisdom to recognize rotten fruit, even if it appears to come from someone who claims the same Spirit. And we will need grace, too, for people who think, pray, worship and serve differently from us.
It’s freeing and difficult, and we will not get it right one hundred percent of the time. But thankfully, we never have to walk alone.
@Mia Faith – praying for you and your family. My heart aches for anybody who has to deal with anything surround suicide. I know first hand how scary it can be. Praying for your sweet granddaughter to understand that she is so dang worth it. And for you guys to not have to worry. @HEIDI love that your family is considering turning a hard situation to something that could be a once in a life time opportunity! Praying you guys feel at peace with whatever you decide.
❤️
Hi everyone. I’m pretty new here. Oh how I need His Spirit to sanctify me through & through! Some days, I wonder if I’m even saved, based on my thoughts! But I know that the Lord will complete the work He has begun – and I am to work out my salvation, walking in the Spirit. Saying NO to the flesh and YES to His promptings, convictions and commands. I’ve been reading my SRT bible this year as my primary bible. Decided to try the monthly subscription and can’t wait to get my first shipment for the May study of Amos. I’ve been following along on the app and on my desktop with this current study using the scripture and devotional only – reading all your wonderful comments each day. I’m confused as to how you all communicate. There is no thread under each person’s post then … so we will need to scroll back and forth to determine what responses are attributed to which post? This older lady is trying to figure it all out so that I can become PART OF this beautiful community! God Bless
So, update for anyone interested… :) Someone asked about the reason behind the lack of CO at this point and no – we don’t have one, which IS a concern. That is such a huge thing for a building to not received and for it to have happened 3x??? Also – we are dealing with city of Atlanta – we’ve built a house here before and we have learned first hand how unbelievably crooked the whole office is. Ppl get permits when they “offer extras”… you don’t play by their game, you could have your whole construction stopped – literally. So there are two sides to the coin and we really have no insight as to which side is playing out.
We spoke with a wise friend yesterday and she confirmed some ideas for us that had been rattling around in mine/Ryan’s (my man) brains. Our kids will be out for summer in a few weeks. We have been given option of keeping this VRBO that long. So – we may keep our things in storage and turn lemons into lemonade and take the kids on a summer-long road trip. Ryan can work from the road, I will have my seminary classes but they will be hybrid – we will have 2 different weekends I will need to be in-person, but that’s it. So- when else will we have the opportunity to not have a house payment, already have our things safely stored, and open time on our hands with kid’s schedules being free?? We are prayerful about it and will do what God leads, no doubt. And, we both are definitely leaning into the idea that perhaps this could be God’s reasoning for having us in the strange position we are in.
We shall see!! :)
I want to say thank you for your prayers. It’s so insane to me that on such a public, open forum we can find such intimacy and kindness from people we most likely will never see in person this side of Heaven… it is an absolute picture of what Christianity is meant to be and evidence of His amazing love and grace living in and pouring out of His daughters… ❤️
RHONDA J – Ah! so excited you found it interesting… I agree – the more we can educate ourselves on the persons of God that we don’t fully understand – and the TOPICS in Scripture we don’t fully understand- the stronger and more accurately we live out this life He’s given us to live. To often we fear if we dig too deep, we will hit rocks. But no – our God is infinite and is big enough for all of our questions and confusions!
SHARON, JERSEY GIRL- YES!! I fully believe one of the MOST successful tactics of our enemy is how he puts insecurities in front of us to belittle the gifts God has given and then, in turn, we prevent ourselves from fully developing that gift to its God-given potential. Others then miss out on the gospel and the unique love of God because we are too busy focusing on someone else. So sad and so wasteful to the precious gifts He’s intelligently, thoughtfully given to each of His children!!
Oh dear MIA Faith, my heart just gripped so fast and hard as I read that first line!! That is so scared when we are out of control with someone SO precious to us. We too have a grandson that has had some serious family issues, and has been talked down to and dismissed his whole life, and I dreaded the teenage years because I know how depression can get it’s grip, and Satan of course. But their dear little souls are so tender, and our grandson holds it all, then lashes out and they fights are getting bigger and dangerous. We moved away 4 years ago, and I have lots of regret in that aspect, they we are not a safe space for him anymore. (I am going into detail because I feel like there are many of us grandparents with this issue!). We really haven’t been able to talk by phone or otherwise becuase he either has no access (from taken away) or the parents are around when we talk with them all. What’s are hope, prayer. And I will certainly be praying for your grandchild specifically, and if you could ours as well. I couldn’t believe it yesterday when the younger sibling, that is the spoiled princess of the family, told us she got a Iwatch and a phone!!! She IS TEN!! Lord have mercy….as my mother would say!! What is the world coming to?! We adults have trouble with social media addiction…lets give it to a 10 year old!! On a funny note though, (I have been feeding her Jesus since forever) (The parents are non-believers!!) she said she should get a I lOVE JESUS cover for it!! How great would that be?! But she says these things because she knows it pleases ME! I pray for her little soul!! (maybe I should buy it for her!!). Boy do we need to pray for our young people! Also Mia, I am so sorry for the loss of your son.
@Mia Faith, I will be praying that God will hold you steady on Him as your rock as this storm swirls around you. Praying that He will reveal Himself as a beacon of light, peace and hope to those who are feeling overwhelmed by the darkness that Satan has placed them in.
I’m (my family) is I. So much need of prayer warriors! Please put us on your daily prayer list. Suicide attempt by a grandchild (14), many family members who are not walking with the Lord! Our oldest son died by suicide 9 years ago (he was an amazing man who loved and shared Jesus). Since he died, our lives have spiraled out of control. I said then, that if THIS COYKD HAPPEN…ANYTHING CAN. I was right and it has broken us all. My hubby and I love the Lord and walk in His ways. We need others to stand in the gap for our family!