Do I Think I Can?

1 Corinthians 3:16 “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”

I know. But sometimes I live like I forgot.

I am not a fast driver. I am not an aggressive driver. But when I get behind the wheel, it feels as if everyone else has lost their minds and needs my help to drive better. So I give them advice.

But they never listen. And it can make me cranky.

My flesh is strong, I’m not gonna lie. There are days where I don’t remember that God’s holy Spirit lives in me and is there to help and strengthen me.

There was a situation recently (okay it was all of last week) that was pretty overwhelming. I worked a LOT of hours, many of them overnight, and I ended up having to do something last-minute that a friend said they would do for me.

My mind and body were TIRED. I was looking forward to having a break. I honestly was so relieved… and then they canceled.

In that moment I had a choice. And the thing God brought to mind was this: “If you were walking in the Spirit right now, what would your response be? Do that.”

Boy is it a battle sometimes! By nature I want to complain and have a pity party, and throw my hands up in frustration and come up with reasons that prove the whole world is against me.

Instead, God calls me to take a deep breath, calm down a little bit, and walk in the Spirit, because the Spirit is already there within me.

Romans 8:5-8
(5) For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
(6) For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
(7) Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
[8] So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

To be carnally minded is death. Period.

It leads me to resentment. It leads me to complaining. It leads my heart to puff itself up with pride. It makes me forget that other people have struggles too, and that things don’t always have to go my way.

BUT…

To be spiritually minded is life and peace. Period.

It leads me to trust in God’s strength. It leads my heart to praise God that He is with me always. It helps me throw my hands up in worship because the God who rescued me from the power and darkness of sin and death can surely rescue me from myself in this moment.

Ephesians 3:14-19
(14) For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
(15) Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
(16) That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
(17) That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
[18] May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
(19) And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
(20) Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
(21) Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

I am strengthened with God’s might by the Spirit in the inner man. That place deep within myself where my flesh wars and gripes and lies to me, and tries to pull my heart toward sin, God’s Spirit is there all the time asking “If you surrendered to Me right now in this moment, what would your response be? Do that.”

When I have my confidence and foundation established in the love of God, I am aware of the depth of the things He has forgiven me of. To be filled with the love of Christ is to have access to the fulness of God.

Even when I think I can’t change, even when I struggle and turn to a default response, even when my mind tells me the other person doesn’t deserve grace…God says that He can work exceeding abundantly above all that I ask or think. He trumps my mind, because His power is within me.

I just have to surrender to it. So today (and going forward), when I am faced with a situation or circumstance that is pulling HARD on my flesh, I will stop and ask myself “If I was walking in the Spirit right now, what would I do?”

And then I will do that. Because He says that in the power of His might I can. And that is life and peace.