What does “walk by the Spirit” really mean?
So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify
the desires of the flesh. - Galatians 5:16
In 1933, bowler Bill Knox had a large screen placed
just above the bowling lane so that he couldn’t see the pins. All he could see
was a few feet in front of him. Yet, much to the amazement of the crowd, he
bowled a perfect game!
So how did he do it? Very simply, he put a mark on
the floor in line with the pins. Instead of looking down the long lane at the
pins, he only tried to hit that mark that was near him. This technique of “spot
bowling” resulted in a huge success for Knox!
Many Christians can feel overwhelmed when they look
down the “lane” of life and try to honor God with their entire lives. They see
God’s character and theirs, and become discouraged because they don’t see a way they can fulfill all the “duties” that God requires of
them.
But what if instead of trying to live perfect lives,
we simply walked by the Spirit day by day? This would
completely take away the daunting task of trying to be the “super-Christian” we
think we should be, and would allow us to experience the freedom of walking in
the Spirit!
Don’t think of the Christian life as climbing a
mountain. Think of it as taking a single step right now in front of you. Let
God’s Spirit guide you step by step and you’ll begin living in true freedom!
Prayer Challenge
Pray that God would help you to live each day in
freedom as you walk in step with His Spirit.
Questions for Thought
Why do you think people often feel overwhelmed when
faced with the “duties” of the Christian life?
How might your life look differently if you saw
living in obedience less like a task and more like a daily relationship with
the Holy Spirit?