The other day, a young father with three small children was shot and killed in a Target parking lot because of a parking place. Now, I don’t know the details, who was at fault, or if the young father was an innocent victim, but this grieves my heart. These three young children will grow up without a father because someone’s anger rose to the surface. In fact, anger issues seem to be prevailing more and more in this day, even among Christians.
This reminds me of Paul’s powerful words in Galatians 5, where he talks about two natures – the fleshly nature and the spiritual nature. Unbelievers only have one nature, but believers have two. And we learn some startling facts about these two natures in our passage. First, these two natures are constantly fighting. And second, the fleshly nature often prevails. I know we’ve not only seen it, but we’ve experienced it more times than we can count. Here’s the thing… nothing good comes when the earthly nature prevails. NOTHING! The result can be jealousy, anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, and envy. Basically, sin rises to the surface. And when this happens, everyone is affected. EVERYONE!
Paul tells us in Galatians 5 that our spiritual nature MUST prevail. But here’s something we often forget. It doesn’t take work for the fleshly nature to win, but it takes lots of hard work for the spiritual nature to win. From the time we’re little, we must be taught how to be good because it’s not natural. If we want the spiritual nature to win (and we should), it will take lots of discipline, daily sacrifice, a dying to self, and a willingness. It must be daily giving up what I want so that Christ can reign in my life.
This passage tells us how we can let the spiritual nature win… by being directed by the Spirit (Galatians 5:18). That means that I ask the Holy Spirit to guide me in EVERY area of my life… my time, my relationships, my desires, my daily activities. When the spiritual nature wins, the result is glorious – the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) develops, including patience and self-control. These are two fruits that seem to often be missing in the Christian. It’s easy to be impatient when someone cuts us off on the freeway, intimidates us, disrespects us, or cuts in front of us in the grocery store line. And when we lose our patience, self-control goes right out the window. I’m guessing you know what I’m talking about. Let’s work today at letting that spiritual nature win so that the fruit of the Holy Spirit will blossom in us and so that others will see Jesus. Hope this encourages you today.