August 28, 2011 with 8 Comments

421.

Tug of War

There’s a constant tug of war going on inside of me.

Do I please my flesh, or do I pursue the spirit?

Do I choose love, or do I retaliate? Do I wait or do I go? Do I go or do I yield?

I could watch that movie, read that book, go to that party. It’s not a big deal. It’s permissible. But will it simply feed my flesh or strengthen my spirit?

I could sleep in a little, skip that tithe this one time, pass on that meeting just this week.

God will understand. His grace will still abound.

But it’s a tug of war, a daily decision, a choice.

I ordered the wrong dose of Tylenol once. No biggie. No one knew. The kid survived. The nurse forgot to double check it. It was a small compromise that no one noticed, a minor letting down of the guard.

But what if it had been ketamine or potassium chloride? What if over time the small compromise became a habit?

People would notice. It would make a difference. The kid could die.

There’s a battle going on between my flesh and my spirit. Some decisions won’t seem like such a big deal, but over time, they could be fatal.

It’s up to me to decide. It’s up to me to remember.

The flesh is dead. The spirit is alive.

Another day. Another opportunity. Another battle won.

How about you?

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  • http://ZCxz Milo

    Obedience is always a battle. God gives us a free will so that we are His willingly obeying. He already gave us all in Jesus, when we could not obey, now that we are dead to sin, He expects us to cooperate with the indwelling Holy Spirit to obedience. This is as far as willful sin. Sin we commit unintentionally is not done willfully, this is why there is forgiveness. iving actively watching helps us be more aware aware of things to avoid like mistakes we can avoid. cooperation with theHS to obedience is key to Christian living.

  • Gina

    Morning. Excellent message today! Happy Sunday :)

  • Kina

    Everyday I have a tug of war with the flesh vs the spirit. Sometimes I feel like though I may choose to be obedient and follow the spirit – it still APPEARS that I don’t reap the fruit of making the spirit led choice. This is more discouraging than having to make the initial choice, nevertheless I have to let God have the final say.

  • http://www.fleurdealeta.blogspot.com Aleta

    Tug o War is a great way to describe it. Some people will do something they know they shouldn’t because they won’t get caught and it’s easier to do the wrong thing than the right thing. Difficult or Easy, Right or Wrong… which pulls the hardest?

    • Kina

      That’s a good question…which pulls the hardest? Perhaps which ever one you’ve been feeding the most, flesh or spirit, that may be the one that pulls the hardest. Jesus said the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

  • Amber

    I feel it and its only Sunday night. Why do mondays have to feel so heavy? I got this great new job part time and I need prayer to to tell my boss. I feel the tug a war every day I’m at work or in a world of no-believers. Please Lord just help me not to fair what man will do and to only fair you.

  • Gina

    Monday blues. It is Sunday night. Mondays are hard so 2 speak. Our Lord Will help us overcome all.So have faith .he has our back. Rest easy sleep well.Thanx Dr.L what a day! :)

  • Jennine G

    Hey Lina. This post fits in well with the passage I have been mulling over the past couple of days:

    Gal 5:16-24 “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”