Flesh & Spirit

Posted on Jan 29, 2016 in Blogs |

A few months ago God really started dealing with me about the war between our flesh and the spirit. It is a war that we fight daily. I have always had a weight problem, and when He gave me the scripture Romans 13:14, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts,” I really felt that God gave me a nugget in His word that would overcome my flesh.
I talked to everyone I knew about this scripture and fully expected that my flesh would magically fall away and my spirit would take over in ALL areas of my life. The only problem is, that didn’t happen. When God gave me that scripture, He told me something that I thought at the time was so crazy. He said, “what I mean by making no provision for the flesh is….don’t pack it a lunch!!!!” (make no provision for it.) Isn’t that the strangest thing for God to say? I have been pondering on this scripture and God’s instructions ever since.

Provision in the dictionary is defined as:  the fact or state of being prepared beforehand, a measure taken beforehand to deal with a need or contingency. In other words, provision is to keep your flesh happy while you are trying to walk in the spirit. That will never work!

Wow, have I failed this test.  Now, I’m back to the first part of that scripture….starting all over again. He didn’t say He was going to do it for me, He said  “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” In other words, YOU put on the Lord Jesus Christ. I am supposed to be the one who does it! He will be the one who will help me understand and pick me up when I fall. He is the one, through His Spirit, that will help me become an overcomer in this area of my life, if I DON’T GIVE UP!

I recently lost my 95 year old Mother, and as I was cleaning out some of her papers, I came across a journal that she wrote when she was 91 and was just diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis. It struck me that at 91 she was just like me and was as concerned about her relationship with the Lord as much as I am now.  Lord, I pray that I can be the woman my Mother was, and that I will be pleasing to You. On June 9, 2008, she wrote the following:  The five things I’d like to change in my life. 1. To stop judging people. 2. To love the unlovable. 3. To help others who are in need of friendship. 4. To keep on praying, with faith, that God will answer my prayers in His time-not mine. 5. That I will never stop thanking God for all of my blessings.

These things are my prayer, also. God help me daily to Put You on in my life, and don’t pack a lunch for my flesh. Let it starve to death!

Thanks, Mom for helping me to keep on keepin’ on.

Author, Beckie Crowe

 

 

Let’s Pray: Lord, my flesh cries out for false satisfaction daily. Help me to realize that the only fulfillment is You. Guide me to follow Your leading and make my body a living sacrifice to You, not my earthly desires. In Jesus’ name I pray.