The Evidence of God’s Spirit
Walking in the Spirit” – Part III
Scripture Reading: Galatians 5:16-26
Key Verse: Galatians 5:22
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: … joy…
When we celebrate Christmas, think about what Jesus’s birth means to you personally.
For me, it is the joy and peace that I get because I believe in Jesus. There is nothing better than the privilege of going through life with joy and peace regardless of the circumstances that surround me.
The Apostle Paul’s prayer for the Roman Christ-followers lets us know that God wants us to enjoy joy and peace in our walk with Him:
May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him… (Romans 15:13).
What does this “joy and peace” look like? What does it feel like?
In my experience, it is a deep, underlying calmness in my life. It is not a feeling of “happiness”, as we have defined happiness. Many times, I am not happy about my circumstances. But when I am faithfully staying in step with what the Spirit is telling me, I am calm (peace) and satisfied (joy) and I know that all will be okay.
I wish I could describe God’s joy and peace better, but it is difficult to express in words that accurately describe God’s work in my life. When I have this joy and peace, I must consciously think about how I am feeling to even realize how great it is to have this deep calm and satisfaction.
I do know this: people without Christ pursue all kinds of things that do not honor God trying to achieve what I am enjoying in Christ.
When I have a lapse of self-control and do not follow what I know God wants for me, I suddenly lose my sense of joy and peace.
Don’t get me wrong, I know that I am still in God’s care. I know He still loves me and accepts me for who I am. But it is my loss of joy and peace that is the greatest factor in making me desperately want to get back in step with the Spirit.
Father, I need your strength working in me to daily stay in step with your Spirit. Please fill me with joy and peace. In Jesus’s Name, amen.