31 March, 2006

Text: Galatians 5:16-21
Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For what the flesh desires is opposed to the the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolotry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before, those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

In the previous passage from Galatians, Paul told his friends not to use this "freedom" as an opportunity for self-indulgence. If you look at the laundry list of the works of the flesh, rather than try to put people you know into each category, look at them as examples of self-indulgence. Lives that exhibit a character in which "I" or "my own kind" will be the very center of all things. I tend to think that one of the other character traits of such a world will be the simple fact that if I am for me...and you are for you...we will usually find ourselves at war over this or that. Even if I am talking about simply gratifying my own desires (put the name of a desire in this space _____), I lose track of my ties to you. Instead of being a part of loving relationships, I readily turn to that which places me at the center of my existence. Trusting in me alone...trusting in my powers and abilities and resources for the sake of what they will be able to bring to me. I see no better way to create a broken world! When there are laundry lists like this it is better to look at the vision of the list rather than trying to pin point a "fleshy act" and then avoid that "act." How quickly such a list makes us yearn for the Law...for with the law, we will be able to define what is right and demand that people live "right lives" and not these fleshy lives. Unfortunately, under the law, we will continue to try to look the part and even point out the fault of others that may be greater than our own.

Connection: An exercise of the day is to simply see how often the rhetoric around us is laced with the self-centeredness that thrives on words of divisiveness and separation...ie sin. What does it take to build another character for the day? Paul would say the Spirit.

Lord God of each new breath of life, within a moment's time we can find ourselves wandering around the brokenness of our own making. We need your Spirit to breathe into us the vision of your gracious reign and the lives that dance within that Reign. Amen.