Who is in Control
If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit
Galatians 5:25
Is your life controlled by you, the world, or God? Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24) We give God control by denying our will and obeying God’s will. If we give control of our life to God, then do we lose control of our life? It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1) This implies that the world makes us a slave while Christ frees us from the world. For everyone born of God overcomes the world. (1 John 5:4)
When we surrender our lives to the Lord, we are no longer attempting to share the throne with God. And God will not share his throne with anyone, so when we step off the throne, God now takes an active part in our lives. You shall have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:3) When we take control, and stop following the Spirit, we have become our own God.
The longer we walk with the Lord, the more we come to know his ways are best. Our trust in the Lord increases and our will starts aligning with his will. We seek to do God’s will because we trust and have experienced God’s perfect love and guidance in our life. When we seek God’s will, for the first time in our lives we are in control through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Whatever comes to us from the world; words, actions, or situations, we take it to the Lord through the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit tells us how to respond. This is freedom and defines what it means to overcome the world. We are no longer controlled directly by the world, by what people say or by the circumstances in life. We walk in faith taking everything to the Lord and he carries us through life overcoming the world.
Today seek God’s will and his advice through the Spirit. Attempt to do what God’s Word has put on your heart, and be sensitive to your emotions so they don’t drive your speech or actions in the wrong direction. Follow the Spirit and notice the control you have to overcome things of the world. Today reap the blessings of being in control as you live by the Spirit.
Prayer: Lord, help me today to be guided by the Holy Spirit, to experience freedom through the Spirit. Give me your power to overcome the worldly things that occur today, so I can remain free in Christ. Thank you for the Holy Spirit, your perfect love for me, and your willingness to help me to be free in Christ. In Jesus name, Amen