How Easy Becomes Challenging

“Walking in the Spirit” sounds like such an easy thing to do, and even when you read Galatians 5:22-23 you can tend to think, “I’ve got it covered!” And there are probably many days that we can feel this way, but then along comes the day—you know the one—when everything that God is trying to teach you is put to a challenge. It doesn’t matter who you are or how strong you may be in your faith, there are going to be days that test you. And the thing that is most important is not the test but how you respond to the test. I know through the years I’ve had times when I can say I handled the testing in a way very pleasing to the Lord, and then there are the times when I can tell you that I failed miserably at the test the Lord placed in my path. Most of the time I don’t need anyone to tell me how I’ve done, because I know by how the Holy Spirit speaks to my heart, but there are also times when I’ve had to lean on the Godly wisdom of those he’s brought into my life to help me see things I may not have seen or sensed.

I’ll never forget when I was in third grade and went through a situation at school that brought this truth to light. I had an English class, and once a month we were required to memorize a poem and then recite it in front of the class. I found a poem and worked so hard to memorize it, and the teacher gave me an excellent grade because I followed her instructions to learn and share it with the class. The next month flew by, and soon it was my turn to get up and recite my poem. I stood in front of the class and flawlessly recited the poem I’d memorized. When class finished that day, the teacher asked to see me. I stayed around, and when she spoke with me it was soft and loving but also honest. She said, “John, that’s the same poem you recited last month.” She was correct; you see, I had forgotten about the assignment and in a panic thought she’d never know if I simply did the same one again. She went on to inform me that I’d be given a zero for not completing the assignment and would hopefully learn a lesson. Now, I could have walked out saying, “That’s not fair, I did the assignment and was never told I couldn’t use the same poem.” But instead, I knew deep inside that what I did was wrong and I tried to cheat my way to a grade I didn’t deserve.

“Walking in the Spirit” means being sensitive enough to the voice of God that when God affirms us in the positive we receive it and rejoice in doing what is pleasing to the Holy Spirit. It also means that when the Holy Spirit convicts us then we humble ourselves, confess our sins, and get back on track with the plan that God has for us.