Last Sunday one of our pastors, Morgan Bates, shared a great message about the battle within ourselves to do what is good and right.

This week I found myself tired (from several days of working until midnight).  I want to use that as an excuse, but honestly there is no excuse.  I found myself reacting to a situation in a very fleshy way.

Some plans that I had made were suddenly changed and I honestly wanted to throw a tantrum.  It seems a bit silly now, but at the time I wanted to cry (out of anger and frustration).  Yes, this older — somewhat mature (ha) woman wanted to stomp her feet and throw something!

Galatians 5:19-21
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, FITS OF RAGE, selfish ambition, dissentions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.  I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.  (Emphasis mine.)

Ok, I must admit that it wasn’t RAGE, per se’, but a fit nonetheless.

Oops, was my flesh showing again?  Uh, YES IT WAS!   Did I keep it to myself and work it out with the Lord?   Um, yeah — sure I did.   (You did note the sarcasm in that statement, right?)

Galatians 5:16
So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Well, there you have it!  I made the choice not to walk by the Spirit.  He lives within me and I heard the gentle nudging of the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:17-18
For the flesh desires what is CONTRARY to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh.  They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.  (Emphasis mine.)

Oh how I detest this battle within.

I know I can’t be too hard on myself because each person has this battle, but still … I must be accountable for my own thoughts, words, actions, and reactions.

Pastor Morgan reminded us how King David — a man after God’s own heart — lusted after a married woman.  His passion drove him to move her husband to the front lines so that he would be killed and David could have her all to himself.

FLESH

The battle to have what we WANT versus what we may NEED or NEED TO DO.

Galatians 5:25
Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

I am sharing this with you while I’m spending time with the Lord on my deck.  I was reading chapter 5 and I couldn’t get past it.  The Word convicted me of my reaction, yet confirmed that we all have this same struggle within.  The struggle to guard our mouths.  The struggle to put the desires and needs of others above our own.  The struggle to be selfless versus selfish.

I pray God will continue to remind us of His Word and increase our desire to DO what it says.  I don’t want to just be a listener and not a doer.

James 1:22-24
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.  Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror  and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.