Living in a small community has its ups and downs. If I was to drive an exotic vehicle, rest assured I would have to travel to the big city for servicing and repairs. Now, I could gripe and complain that every time I had to do something to the car, I am inconvenienced and, in many cases, direct my displeasure to the fact that my town does not have a reputable place to service my needs. There is one set of lights in my town and yet there are complaints that they never seem to be green when we get to the intersection. Some people in our town complain bitterly that we have round-abouts in the intersections but there are many of us who, having taken our drivers course in a town or city that has them, don’t mind them at all. I have come to realize that fifty percent of the time, the light at the intersection will be red and I will have to stop. I have a recreational vehicle, the brand of which is not supported by the dealer in town but they will order in parts for me, I have learned to do my own servicing with the help of my friends who know how to do some of the minor repairs and maintenance. There are primarily two camps in this world, the ones who find the silver lining and can adapt to changing circumstances and those who hold onto the negative and work hard to recruit others to join their cause. Divisiveness is the work of the evil one and lately, he is grinning from ear to ear.
Galatians 5:16-17 NLT
So, I say, let the Holy Spirit
guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature
craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of
what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of
what the sinful nature desires.
It is so easy to slip into the negativity and follow the
crowd. My question is this, what does it accomplish? Negativity leads to anger,
leads to stress, leads to health issues and, for the most part, a rather
discontented life. The sky is never blue enough, the water is never the right
temperature, the lights are never going in your direction, the service is never
good enough, the preacher never addresses the issues I think he/she needs to,
and the list goes on and on. It is a constant battle with the power of goodness
on the one side and sinful desires on the other. Now, I know I am going to get
responses to this concerning the term sinful and questioning my right to judge
but let me state this, I am not the judge but rather the messenger. If you feel
the conviction, it is not me but rather Someone else trying to get your
attention. Take a read though Galatians 5 from verse 16-26. I read through this
passage frequently as a reminder of what not to do and also what the Holy
Spirit is providing when I surrender to Him.
But the Holy Spirit produces
this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and
self-control. There is no law against these things! Gal 5:22-23
There is enough anger and division in the world today that
there is no need for me to add to it. Instead, I have decided to follow in His
way and seek out the peace of God in all things. Take hold of the joy of the
Father, name the love of Christ and claim it as yours, immerse yourself in the embrace
of the Holy Spirit and live life to a fullness that is forever.
This week we segue into a journey of understanding the gifts
and fruits of the Holy Spirit. We invite you to join us this Sunday either in
person or watch us online at 10:30 AM.
Facebook Live - https://www.facebook.com/main.ave.31
YouTube Live – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs9LIkN_QTdVM6eVXEgy9QA
We look forward to seeing you this Sunday.
Blessings,
Pastor Todd
www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.com
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