Step by Step

If we are to be follows of Christ, we need to walk in the Spirit. As the Scriptures tell us, "We get our new life from the Spirit, so we should follow the Spirit" (Galatians 5:25; NCB). The Holy Spirit will show us the way to the Father. Jesus said that after His death God would give us another Counselor to be with us forever - the Spirit of truth (John 14:16b-17). The Spirit leads us to the truth about God, who we are in Christ, and reveals to us the way of eternal life. He will counsel us in the way of life, but we must listen carefully to what He says. We need to follow his directions and take one step at a time. If we hurry along too quickly, we will become careless and lose our way.
Unless we are lead by the Spirit of God, we will find ourselves following our own thoughts and desires. When we walk in the Spirit, we will have productive lives. Our lives will be full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23a). The Spirit produces in us character, and the desire to do what is right. If we want the fruit of the Spirit in our daily lives, we will need to continually follow the pathways of righteousness and faith. These pathways are hard to find and require diligent effort to follow. To hear the voice of the Spirit requires much spiritual training, discipline and prayer. The ways of life are hard to follow (Matthew 7:13-14). In fact, without the help of the Spirit they are impossible for us to find. Once found, we need constant guidance to stay on the right path. The forest is thick and full of dangers, but the trail is well marked ahead of us by the Spirit. We need to develop the skills of a spiritual tracker, and faithfully follow the path prepared ahead of us (Ephesians 2:10).
The Spirit of God shows us the way to our eternal home. If we stay focused on the light He gives us, we will not lose our way. Like a giant lighthouse, wherever life’s journeys take us, we will always see the glow of everlasting light. A light to bring us safely to our heavenly home. A light that is ever true and faithful. A light that never fades. It shines brighter and brighter as we get closer to the source of that light.

Questions for Reflection:
1) How do you hear the Spirit of God talking to you? Do you carefully listen to what He says to you? (Romans 8:15-16)
2) How would you measure your spiritual productivity? (Galatians 5:13-14)
3) How could you have more of the fruit of the Spirit in your life? (Romans 8:5-11)