As Christians, we have two choices in life – be led by the Holy Spirit or be led by the desires of our flesh. The desires of our flesh tend to be cravings and yearnings for things that will remove our focus from God. These desires never draw us closer to God; if anything, they always serve as traps to make us feel guilty.
Fleshly desires don’t have to be “blatantly wicked.” An example of a desire for the flesh is sleeping instead of waking up for church. You know that you need to go to church, which is the direction the Holy Spirit is trying to lead you in, but your body is telling you otherwise. Your body is trying to convince you that it would be much better to sleep in and miss church.
As Christians, from the day we receive salvation, we become subject to the leading of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will always take us to places that will bring us closer to God – it will never be the opposite. It is through the Holy Spirit that a person can grow in their prayer life, understand the writings in the Bible, and grow in their spiritual gifts.
In our everyday lives, the Holy Spirit will guide us to act the way Jesus would work in a situation.
For example, if you drive in traffic and someone tries to cut in front of you, you have two choices.
Your Fleshly Desire: Yell several profanities at the driver and ensure they know you are angry.
Spirit-led decision: Let the incident slide, pray for the driver, and allow peace to reign in your heart.
Choosing to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit won’t always be easy, but it will be more worthwhile. Walking in the Spirit means walking in the way Jesus Christ would desire us to walk.
You may not realise it then, but your life is a testimony to others. When you choose to walk in the Spirit, the world gets to see the love and wisdom of God through your words and actions.
If you choose to follow the desires of your flesh – which are always contrary to the will of God – you will communicate the wrong message to the world, and they will not feel compelled to receive salvation.
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