Sharing my thoughts
“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.” Galatians 5:24-25 NLT.
When I read Galatians 5:24 in the daily reading, my immediate thoughts were that I can’t do this without the Holy Spirit! There has to be more to this scripture. I clicked to read the rest of the chapter in order to gain the correct context. I know this chapter, but reading that verse alone made me stand still a minute for my life is nothing without God’s leading.
Yesterday, I was coming from the grocery store with my son, and when he saw the oatmeal cookies with the cream inside, he smiled and said, ”Mom that’s a temptation, you don’t need those oatmeal cookies.” I replied, “Yes it is.” We talked a little bit more about how the cream in the middle could upset my stomach. I informed him that it was fake cream. I know that you guys have had the Little Debbie Oatmeal Cookies with the cream in the middle. No one actually needs them; they are one of the food temptations that catches our eye at the grocery store. Temptations come in large and small packages. We can eat the whole package of Little Debbie Oatmeal Cookies, or have one every so often. This lesson is part of the letter that was written to the Galatians addressing the temptation to go back and follow the “Laws of Moses” verses living in the freedom that came with Grace. Why would anyone do that? They were leaning on what they were used to doing verses what God was saying. Does that sound familiar? To us it still means that we don’t go back to the doing things that could not save you, but “Follow the Spirit’s Leading.”
We are hit every day with temptations, like cookies at the grocery store, and then there are those deep temptations that may never make it to a conversation. Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for forty days. We will be tempted too because we belong to Christ. The takeaway is: don’t give in to temptations, don’t go back to that old familiar sin, but always follow as the Holy Spirit leads. He will always lead you back to Christ!
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Pastors Willie and Rochelle
