I say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16 NABRE)
There is so much packed into this little verse, and so little time to unpack it! So, let's focus on the desire of the flesh! The phrase means a whole lot more than the obvious physical desires we have. It refers also, and more importantly, to our "self-interested hostility toward God." *
That description challenges me to think I might not be "living by the Spirit."
It seems that whenever I am more interested in myself and my own wants, I am actually being hostile toward God and his plan.
It has been well described this way (read it slowly and a couple of times):
"Christians still retain the flesh, but it is alien to their new being, which is life in the spirit, namely the new self, governed by the holy Spirit....Christian life is therefore the experience of a constant challenge to put to death the evil deeds of the body through life of the spirit."*
Today, I will empty myself of my own wants, seeking good judgment from the Holy Spirit in all the circumstances and decisions of this day.
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