Living by the Spirit

Growing closer to God should be the top priority in a Christian's life. I wish that was just as easy to do as it is to say. I have been a Christian for many years now and I still find myself asking the question, "How do I grow closer to God?" We can go to church, do good to others, abstain from sin, read the bible, and pray, but are those things enough? Those are all great things and they are all pleasing to Bod, but simply checking those things off of a list does not bring us closer to God. God can't be reduced to a checklist. Growing closer to God has a whole lot less to do with any action we might take and a whole lot more to do with positioning our hearts toward His. We are to position ourselves with empty hands and eager hearts, communicating with our intentions and attitudes that we are willing to deny ourselves.

One way to grow closer to God is by making a sacrifice for the sole purpose of growing closer to Him. Luke 9:23 says "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." I have been sacrificing unhealthy eating habits (binge-eating) and unhealthy food not only for my physical health, but also to help me grow closer to God. I am trying to become more self-disciplined and grow in the fruit of self-control because those things both honor God. The fuit of the Spirit (love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control) is evidence of God's Spirit being in you. Self-control is hard. I'll be honest, I don't enjoy denying myself and it is very difficult to make sacrifices, but fortunately I have the power of the Holy Spirit: "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature" (Galations 5:16).

As a Christian, I have the Holy Spirit living in me. Not only does the Spirit live in me, but He is active and provides power and strength that is beyond what I can possibly muster up on my own. So how do I live by the Spirit? One way is to read the Bible with the intention of putting into practice what I read while asking the Holy Spirit to direct me in how to do this. It isn't easy relying on the Holy Spirit to direct me into wise choices; it isn't easy to put Scripture into action, especially Scriptures about self-control; but it is possible! Living by the Spirit is so much more fulfilling and rewarding than living by my own strength. And the reward of growing closer to Christ is worth the cost of denying myself.

(Some of these words are not my own. They are taken from the book Made to Crave)