Walking in the Spirit

If you’re anything like me, the biggest day-to-day struggle we often face isn’t usually a temptation to commit outright sin; it’s our tendency to forget about God, to spend hours at a time caught up in the business of life, school and work without giving much thought to things of eternal importance. What I find most interesting about this particular passage of Scripture is the exact sequence of events Paul outlines for us: because we already live in the Spirit, we should also walk in the Spirit. At first glance this almost seemed backwards to me. If being saved means we live in the Spirit, wouldn’t walking in the Spirit be somewhat inevitable? Apparently not.

For example, if someone asks me where I live, my answer will not be defined by where I’m standing. It may sound cliché, but home really is “where the heart is.” Home is also. . .

1. Where we feel loved
2. Where we feel safe
3. Where we feel a sense of belonging

As Christians, our spiritual “home” is the presence of God. That’s where we are loved “with an everlasting love” (Jer. 31:3), and where we are safe from the “terror” of night and the “arrow that flies by day” (Ps. 91:5). Most of all, it’s where we belong: according to Jesus in John 17:3, the very definition of life is knowing “the only true God, and Jesus Christ.” It’s also interesting to consider that, whereas our goal as Christians is to "walk in the Spirit" by being constantly aware of God's presence and love, failing to "retain God in our knowledge” is listed prominently among the detestable sins of Romans 1:28-32. The beauty of Galatians 5:25 is that, unlike our physical homes, we never have to cease fellowship with the Lord. Jesus said in John 14:16, “I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.” The realization of this type of Divine love is astounding to me. Even married couples might occasionally feel a need to get away, but the love of God for us is such that He wants us to “walk in the Spirit” every moment of every day, to “cast all of our cares upon Him” simply because He cares for us (1 Pet. 5:7). So in reality, a verse that may initially seem like a stern commandment to be super spiritual is really just a beautiful reflection of God’s love for us. What a glorious thought!