- Living in the flesh i.e. doing things in our own effort = Frustration
- Living in the Spirit i.e. obeying, trusting and depending on God = Joy unspeakable
Picture this: you wake up in the morning but you cannot get out of bed. You try to move your arm but it just won’t budge, so you lay there helpless, hoping and praying for strength to move so you are not late for work.
What would you do if this happened to you?
Gal 3:3 (amplified classic version), “are you so foolish and so senseless and so silly? Having begun (your new life spiritually) with the (Holy) spirit, are you now reaching perfection (by dependence) on the flesh?
Most of us are guilty of the above. When we start our spiritual journey, we are usually completely dependent on God, but after a while, we get carried away and start trying to do things on our own.
Zech 3:6, “not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”
So, why do we try to do things on our own? Why do we remove God from the equation of our lives? Why do we start so well, but miss it along the way?
I read an article written by a physician, author and a child of God, who is also living with myasthenia gravis. It was titled “come as you are”; in it she talked about being born again but illustrated it using babies. This analogy fascinated me because I didn’t know how to explain or teach what being “born again” really meant.
“I have held a lot of newborns and I can testify they are weak and needy, helpless and completely dependent” (by Vickie Petz Henderson)
This statement alone got me thinking – when babies are born, they are naked with no abilities, they are not able to care for themselves. They come empty handed with nothing to offer but their need. This is how we ought to be when we relate with God. We are to be completely dependent on Him, only then can we do away with the frustrations that come with trying to do things in our own strength.
Food for thought: How about you? Have your figured out why you sometimes get frustrated? Could it be because, like me, you sometimes leave God out of the equation and try to do things in your own strength?
Stay hopeful ….. find your purpose!
PS: This post is inspired by Joyce Meyer and Vickie Pets Henderson.
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Thank you! We need such reminders consistently because it’s amazing how we forget who has got our back and just try to do things with our own strength! God help us!