ETERNITY

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Doing The Best He Can

Scripture Reading: Colossians 2:2-6

Key Verse:

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you wish.” ~ Galatians 5:16-17

Many people think that life will be easy after they get saved. Instead, they frequently find they seem to have even more struggles than before. We should not be dismayed, however; this is the normal Christian life. Before we met the Savior, we were walking aimlessly; but upon our salvation, we commenced a journey that would take us through rough terrain and high mountains.

In the epistle to the Galatians, the apostle Paul warned us not to use our newfound freedom in Christ as an excuse to revert – instead of drifting back into our aimless ways, we must take the yoke of Jesus and learn to walk in the Spirit. Paul specifically said, “walk” (Galatians 5:16), because the Christian life has direction. We are climbing new heights toward a specific goal, and climbing means struggling.

Every day, we grapple with jealousy, lust, and pride because we live in a world filled with such things. At the same time, we can learn to walk by the Spirit and rise above our temptations and enemies. Yes, it is tough to be in a perpetual fight, and many people have no stomach for such constant exertion. When they see the high standard of Jesus’ example, they sometimes lower their goal and settle for doing the best they can in their own strength.

But doing the best we can is exactly what Paul said will not work – it simply isn’t good enough. That’s why the Holy Spirit came. By fully submitting to Him, we can learn to let the Spirit of God do the best He can. Then we will walk in victory!

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I want to walk in victory – not just do the best that I can. In Jesus’ name, do the best You can through me. Amen.
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Excerpt from: “Pathways To His Presence” ~ Charles F. Stanley