The Striving Spirit

I want to please Jesus and obey his commands. But, why does it feel like I'm striving after an unattainable goal? Keep Reading...

READ
Galatians 3:3 - Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?

REFLECT
Striving to be acceptable, striving to be worthy, striving to be perfect - they all lead to burnout and eventual death. Like a car that is stuck in neutral and constantly revved is the life that is bound up with a striving spirit.

The striving spirit can look so good. It appears put together and in control. But death is at the core. It only produces rotten fruit. Those who follow the path of proving their worthiness to Jesus through legalism are following a made-up gospel. (Galatians 1:6-7)

Is all human effort wrong? Should we not "make every effort" to follow Jesus? (2 Peter 1:5) Our starting point is most important here. Romans 12:1 says, "I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices holy and pleasing to God...." The mercy of God, or our position as accepted children of God, must be our starting point. When our motivation for holy living is wrong, then all our efforts become futile - a chasing after the wind.

I am accepted. It is out of a response of gratitude that I offer my life back to Jesus. Paul says, "I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (Galatians 2:21) We would never want to say that Jesus died in vain. But, we live that out when we are constantly trying to prove our worthiness before him.

RESPOND
It's time to deal with the striving spirit and start relating with the Holy Spirit. Repent of wrong motivation for holy living. Change your focus from striving to responding to the Holy Spirit. "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature." (Galatians 5:16) A love relationship with the Spirit will produce the holiness you long for.