So Many Ways to Walk Out Humility

Don't you just love when God gives you little opportunities to walk out humility and you botch it really good. I mean how hard is it to just bite your tongue or go the other direction? Well if you are human it is very difficult. Our fallen nature propels our response according to corruption. That is why in Galatians 5:16 it says "walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh". It takes God in us to love God, and it takes the Spirit of God in us to live for God. The more God we seek the more we become like Him. We emulate those we are around. If we are around people who talk slow with a southern draw, pretty soon the word "right" starts to sound like "riiiight". It is just the way that our human nature acclimates to our environment. So when we sow to the Spirit we reap in the Spirit. (which is eternal life Galatians 6:8)

So having said all that when the opportunity to flash our flesh comes along, we are to simply ask the Spirit to lead us in a "flash free" zone. To take us out of the situation and into His presence. That can be as simple as shutting our "trap". Or saying thank you even though you are not really thankful. Maybe serving someone even though you know they are going to complain about it no matter how perfect it is. All these are exercising our spiritual muscles. Walk by the Spirit, or imitate the Spirit. Well the Spirit was sent by Jesus, so they must be friends. So imitate Jesus, who is the "hope of glory" within. They all are one in the Trinity, so whether you say walk by the Spirit or imitate Jesus, you are really saying don't rely on the human corruption that you were born into but by grace overcome. Grace is not there to sin even more, but to empower you to leap over the mountain and land on two feet. I never want to be caught in the trap of using the concept of grace to relieve the conviction of sinning for convenience. Grace is the power from Heaven to live like we are sojourners in this world and not permanent residents. The mystery of grace is answered in mercy and that is answered in love. We hope because we believe in the resurrection of the dead. That as our Lord was, so we'll be because we were adopted. Signed for with blood, and sealed by Holy Spirit. We do not have even one reason to continue as if we didn't already have the means to succeed. We have everything for life in godliness, we just need to exercise harnessing its full potential.

It isn't the simple road. It isn't a parade route or a two lane highway, but I have never read that it was supposed to be. I am just hacking through this narrow passage way, trying not to botch to many opportunities to grow in meekness and love. I am hoping that like the yellow brick road it will lead me home.