‘Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.’ Galatians 5: 25
Whether subtly or overtly, we are constantly being asked to keep up with something – it could be the latest fashion, Tik Tok trend or gadget. Or we may be trying to keep up with a family member, friend or colleague who has achieved a significant life goal.
None of the above are bad in and of themselves, but it’s important to recognize that our life journey will be different to everyone else’s. Comparing our life with others and using theirs as a measuring stick for ours will only cause us to be mere imitators, perhaps having a life that looks ‘successful’ by society’s standards but lacking real joy and fulfilment as our purpose falls by the wayside. It can be tempting to achieve something or become someone that seems important in the eyes of others, but this may be completely out of alignment with God’s best for us.
Imagine yourself on the journey of life. Perhaps you are crawling through a tricky patch or you’re flying high because things are going well. But who has set the pace for your journey? Who is influencing where you are going? Who are you walking with?
In Galatians 5: 25, Paul encourages us to keep up with someone. ‘Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.’ He has already mentioned living by or being led by the Spirit twice in the preceding verses. For example, ‘… walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh’ (v16). There is a constant battle between our flesh and the Spirit, but the emphasis here is that keeping in step with the Spirit will help us to overcome our inner struggles and external temptations. We can’t fight these by ourselves, by willpower alone. Sometimes, when we are trying to eliminate a bad habit or sin from our lives, we focus all our attention on it. ‘If only I could stop doing that thing’, we say to ourselves. It is important to identify the things we want to change and deny them space and affection in our lives, but we also need to focus on the good habits that God wants us to pursue. We are told here that in walking in the Spirit, we won’t fulfil the desires of the flesh. We can’t be in two places at once, so if we are following the Spirit, we’re automatically not going down the other path.
So, it matters who we walk with – they have the ability to influence us. If keeping in step with the Spirit leads to us overcoming the desires of flesh and overflowing with peace, kindness and self-control, the implication is that whoever we are in step with has the capacity to impact who we are and our destination in life. If we are in step with someone we are, in effect, going somewhere with them.
The psalmist says, ‘Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked (Psalm 1:1). If you read on, there’s a progression of the person who starts out walking with the wicked, then standing with sinners and then sitting with mockers. Sometimes a walk with the wrong crowd can end up with us surrounded and influenced by people leading us on the path to destruction, rather than peace and eternal significance.
This isn’t a call for us to wrongly judge anyone or to lock ourselves away with Christians as none of us are perfect, but perhaps there’s an opportunity for us to consider who we are in step with.
Keeping in step with the Spirit means that we will head down the right paths for our lives, rather than following others down the roads carved out for them, or simply just going down the wrong road. Jesus is a perfect example of keeping in step with the Spirit. It was the Spirit who led him into the wilderness (Luke 4:1) and if we trace his human life through the gospels, we see him moving at just the right pace – ministering to those in need, sitting down for meals in different homes, amongst other things, but then also retreating to be still and spend time with God.
Keeping in step with the Spirit means having a Comforter or Advocate (parakletos, as the Holy Spirit is referred to, in Greek) alongside us as we do life. How amazing that the Holy Spirit doesn’t just point us in the right direction, he goes with us, comforting us in hard times and speaking up for us in our times of challenge or weakness.
So, what can help us keep in step with the Holy Spirit? Some simple suggestions:
- spend time reading or listening to the Bible, asking God to illuminate his word through his Spirit. It may be a verse or a few verses each day, but remember the Holy Spirit guides us into all truth and God does speak to us through the Bible. If you forget to do this or miss some days, try again until you have a regular habit
- spend time talking with God. In prayer, we are in conversation with God, sharing from our hearts but also giving an opportunity for God to speak to us through his Spirit, remembering that whatever the Spirit says to us will match up with his Word and that the Spirit helps us to pray (Romans 8:26-27)
- move with the Spirit and obey God’s voice. He may tell you to do something specific or to avoid something, listen keenly and move with Him. Little by little, you’ll find yourself more in step with the Spirit than anyone else.
Pause: Close your eyes and consider what direction you are heading in
Reflect: Who would you say you are in step with? Who or what has the greatest influence on your life?
Rise: Remember – you can change the direction of your life. Try to do one thing regularly that will help you keep in step with the Holy Spirit