Spiritual Walking

UV 1429/10,000 Spiritual Walking
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Galatians 5 v 25
When Jesus ascended to heaven, He left the Holy Spirit – a quickening spirit to enable us to live spiritual lives. He had paid the price once and for all so that mankind can live eternally. But He desires that not only do we live eternally but that we “walk in the Spirit” or to have the quickening touch of the Spirit of God in every step hereafter. Jesus told His disciples, “ Be in the world but not of the world” implying remain in the world as long as it is God’s will but be spiritual and not worldly. The Spirit empowers us, emboldens us, equips us, enables us, counsels us, reminds us, comforts us, strengthens us from within, teaches, guides and leads us step by step. He adds “unction” or anointing to all our functions or responsibilities towards God and man. Everything that we think, speak and do in the practical and real world needs a touch of the Holy Spirit. He nudges us, whispers in our ears and gives us the peace that passes understanding in our decision-making process. A tripod of function, gift and fruit works together to give us a sense of spiritual equilibrium.

When we walk in the spirit, our sense of priorities are altered and transformed. We will seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. The Holy Spirit is our best and full time consultant. We will not yield to the lust of the flesh in our moments of weakness. It is not desire that is evil but excessive desire or desire that is not legitimate. But no good thing will He withhold from those who love Him and walk in obedience to His Word and will. The best impartation from within us that the Holy Spirit gives are the gifts and the fruit. Each gift has to be paired with one or more fruit for spiritual balance and maturity. For instance, the gift of healing should be exercised in conjunction with the exercise of faithfulness and humility to say that it was God and not the person who prayed or spoke that caused the healing.

God packs the infinite into our minutes and our minutae or the tiny details of our lives. The word “ walking” in the spirit is used to show that it is a step by step submission to the Lord that sees us growing spiritually. We grow incrementally in grace and knowledge of the truth. It is not a sudden earth-shaking event but a gradual growth. We grow degree by degree, day by day into His very likeness. Every moment and experience counts. Nothing is wasted in God’s economy. Nothing is in vain as we walk in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit instructs and informs our minds. We need to practice each fruit of the spirit. We need to practice love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self control. Just as we need to balance as we walk, we need to hold all these godly habits in balance. Practicing love as a spiritual habit implies showing the qualities described positively and negatively in the 13 th chapter of the first epistle of Paul to the Corinthians. We need to remove the traces of jealousy, pride and rudeness from our behaviour and interactions. We need to practice joyfulness consistently by committing that whatever happens each day, we will remain bubbling with the joy of the Lord. We need to practice patience consistently with all kinds of people and situations. We need to practice peace such that nothing we think, speak or do disturbs or grieves the Holy Spirit who ensures Shalom in our souls regardless of the circumstance and the storms of life. Each spiritual fruit is a discipline. Every month and season of our lives need a different fruit just as there are different seasonal fruits. Each of these disciplines must be repeatedly practiced till it becomes our second nature.
Prateep V Philip