Ouch!  Those harsh words stung!  The urge to retaliate in kind surged up, but a deeper power held it back.  But keeping quiet didn’t prevent resentment from bubbling up.  Then that deeper power whispered,  “Retaliation and resentment are both wrong.  Speak calmly to him with honesty so that the rift can be healed.”

We all experience a base force at work inside us that tries to drag us away from what is good.   Our default thinking – what we want instead of what God wants, causes us to get angry and quarrelsome. We have selfish desires. Pride motivates us. We want what we shouldn’t have.  When we give in to this default nature, we get the life sucked out of us. We destroy the happiness we could have had. This is the human condition. But there is an even stronger Power we can tap into.

God hasn’t left us helpless against this force for wrongdoing.   God’s Spirit replaces those destructive desires with a desire to please God. By obedience, we get a full and happy life.

“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. . . Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. . . But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. . . Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.” Romans 8:1-2, 5-6, 9, 12-13

Because God helps us do the right thing, we can experience true happiness. God always replaces the bad with good, the negative with the positive. He is the Source of all good things.

^“When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures,  idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division,  envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. . .  But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, and self-control.”  Galatians 5:19-23 

Sexual immorality in its many forms whether in thought or deed is an enemy of our hearts, minds, and bodies. It clouds our thinking, makes us foolish, hardens our emotions, and often harms our bodies.  (See Romans 1). But the Holy Spirit gives us true love that works for the good of others and makes us better people in the process.

Making anything or anyone more important than God (idolatry) sets us up for disappointment. When we pour our hearts and souls into something lesser, we end up sad.  But faithfulness as the Spirit helps us makes it possible to hold onto God wholeheartedly, serve him, and reap rewards.

Hatred burns up energy that could have been used to move us forward.  But godly kindness flows out to heal and the tide returns to wash over us in our need.

Anger works against us making enemies of even our own loved ones.  But forbearance allows for the shortcomings of others.  This Holy Spirit patience gives grace and brings peace.

Being at odds with others steals our peace.  But godly goodness looks for the best in others which soothes and smooths.

Putting #1 first, catering to our own desires above the good of others will eventually bring loneliness.  But God’s gentleness puts us in the other’s shoes and treats them as we want to be treated.

Lack of self-control makes us less than we could be.  But self-control fueled by God’s power makes us the best version of ourselves.  We may not be getting drunk, but we indulge ourselves by sitting in a comfortable chair in a warm house in front of a screen.  But we can tap into God’s power to exercise self-control and get up and take a walk. The results will be worth it!

Often our bodies deter us from doing the right thing. We get tired, hungry, and sometimes sick. Jesus experienced these and understands what we’re up against. He warns us that it’s super important that in moments of physical weakness, we watch out for temptations and pray for strength. So watch out! Be alert to your weakness.

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41

It’s easy to be grouchy with our family when we’re tired. Or short-tempered when we’re hungry. Those are the times we’re likely to say things that are hurtful. An eleven-year-old relative has already learned to be alert to her hypoglycemia and how it gets her into relational trouble. She told me recently, “When I start shaking I know my blood sugar is low and I need to shut up.” What a wise girl! She is alert to the temptation she faces when she’s too hungry. She already knows she’ll regret what she says in a hangry state, so she commits to being silent until she can eat something.

God wants us to be good stewards of the bodies he has given us. We can increase our chances of success when we get enough sleep and eat nutritious food. We can’t expect to be our best tomorrow if we stay up late tonight watching a show. We can’t expect to be focused if we fuel our bodies with junk food and sugar. We can’t expect to be energetic if we don’t invest time in exercise. We can’t expect our minds to function optimally if we don’t take breaks and get outside. It pays to cooperate with God, doing our part to care for our bodies and trusting him with what we have no control over.

Thank God, he helps us trade the negative force in our lives that brings ruin for the beautiful force of his Spirit who changes us into loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled people!