An old man who lives a few houses down from us walks his little dog every day. I watch them head out from my living room window. The little dog is out front, pulling the leash, straining to get the old man to walk a bit faster.
On the way back home the scene changes. Now the old man is out front, pulling the leash, dragging the little dog behind him.
I chuckle every time they cross my window because I see myself in that little dog. It seems that throughout my life I’m either running ahead of God, pulling on the leash (trying to get Him to move a bit faster), or I’m lagging behind Him as He urges me forward while I’m dragging my heels.
Instead of running ahead or lagging behind, Paul reminds us that we need to keep in step with the Spirit of God. “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” [Galatians 5:25 NIV]
Keeping in step with the Spirit of God requires communication with Him! It requires listening for His voice, obeying His direction, heeding His warnings. It requires relinquishing control to Him. Ah, that’s the truly hard part isn’t it – surrender! But most of God’s ways are directly oppositive of ours. Surrender is one of them – surrendering to God is not defeat, it is Victory!
Amen&Amen