Galatians 5: ¹³ For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. ¹⁴ For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.

¹⁶ So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. ¹⁷ The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. ¹⁸ But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.

²² But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

 

I think about us as people... how our intentions can be so good.. we can try so hard to be positive an uplifting.. we intend to not talk about people.. to not tear anyone down... we know we don't want anyone to be like that to us...

 

yet we falter... we mess up... we see people act a certain way or do something and we just fly out the mouth with words talking about it with someone else... then we realize we did it.. and we think.. ugh!! I do not want to be like that!!

 

how nice it would be to only produce the fruit of the spirit in our lives.. to be the pleasant and loving person God intended us to be... yet here we are.. daily battling against the old nature...

 

the scripture says that we don't have to battle it.. that we have already conquered it... yet I find the battle raging on... and I am better than yesterday.. but still in the battle...