You’re trying so hard to do right, aren’t you? You attend church. You stand and raise your hands during the praise and worship portion of service. You shout out “amen, hallelujah and thank you, Jesus” at seemingly appropriate points in the sermon. You smile and greet your neighbors and offer them you hospitality should they ever be inclined to accept it and your assistance should they be in need. You’re generous with your “I-love-you’s, I-miss-you’s and I-can’t-wait-to-see-you’s.” You’re doing and saying all the right things. You’re going through the motions. You’re walking the talk and talking the walk. You’re such a “good” Christian, you have everyone fooled… even yourself.
But you haven’t fooled God. You have not outsmarted the Master Teacher, Jesus Christ. You haven’t hoodwinked the indwelling Holy Spirit. Therefore, true believers, those truly led and living by the Holy Spirit will see through your pretense… eventually.
So, if only doing the “right thing” and “saying the right thing” don’t add up to right living, what does?
Right thinking leads to right living. It’s very important that you get your mind right. What state is your mind in?
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. ~ 2 Corinthians 10:5NIV
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. ~ Romans 12:2NIV
If you’re stuck in your daily walk, jump start your mind. Do an inventory first and weed out everything that keeps your mind focused on worldly things. Then inject your mind with Kingdom thoughts – God’s Word. You’re not living right if you’re not thinking like Christ at all. You’re not living right if the fruit of the Spirit isn’t evident in your life.
If you’re operating in jealousy, envy, covetousness, malice, selfish ambition, having fits of rage, immoral sex, etc. (see Galatians 5:19-21) you’re operating in the spirit that rules this world. You’re in your flesh. Galatians 5:21 says that those who live like this will not inherit the Kingdom of God – meaning you’re not Kingdom minded.
However those who belong to Christ have crucified their flesh and its’ associated desires and passions (Galatians 5:24). Believers who live in Christ have manifested the fruit of the Holy Spirit in their life – joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (see Galatians 5:22-23). When this fruit is evident in your life – obvious in your interactions with people (from those you know well to those you don’t know at all), then you know you are living by the Spirit.
Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. ~ Galatians 5:25-26NIV
Live right. It’s possible. Be diligent and faithful and lean on your Helper.
