Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I was inclined to hit the ground running this morning without taking the time to Share what the Author and Perfector of my Faith shared with me, but He would have no part of it. In a matter of seconds, He set me straight to Remind me that what I do, I do for Him, and in a matter of seconds I was asking for Forgiveness for my selfish Heart. It’s not as simple as “not having time” when the King plants you in a Mission and the human sacrifices don’t always come easy. But if I don’t want to “lose” the Gift that’s been poured into me, then I need to be sure to Follow Directions. Paying it Forward is what I do for the Master of Life and striving to Please Him is what keeps me going. As long as I Walk in the Spirit and not in my flesh I can do anything! Isn’t that the way it is for you too?

It can be so easy for us to pick and choose where we’ll spend our time, and we easily follow the heart even when it doesn’t always make sense. Some people have mastered the game of shuffling from one thing to another like a never-ending game of ping pong, and they’re so busy chasing their own pleasures that they never really accomplish anything at all. Some people prefer to live on “Easy Street” and they would never consider taking on the tough things as long they can avoid them. Some people live in limbo, never committing to anything just in case something better comes along. Some people are too afraid to step up, while others don’t even know what that looks like. It’s human nature to migrate toward what brings us the most pleasure and it is the nature of man to justify why we’re not paying attention to the Call on our Life while we chase our own pleasures instead. We walk through this Life looking for perpetual picnics where we’ll have the most fun – but the only Genuine Pleasure to ever be had comes when we Walk in the Spirit, instead of in the flesh. It exhausts me to think about what it would be like to live a life driven by my own agenda and only for my own pleasure, and it breaks my Heart to see so many lost in the web of selfishness. Living for ourselves and only for our own pleasure is an empty place, and it never ends up for Good when we do. It’s not possible to Serve the Living God while we’re busy serving ourselves. We only begin to Live for Him when we’re willing to die to ourselves. This is the key to Fulfillment, contentment, and Peace!

Some people have no idea what it is to “walk in the Spirit” and it’s impossible to explain what it’s like to someone if they’ve never experienced the Journey for themselves. Some roll their eyes and consider it all nonsense and they’re too busy thumping their Bibles to Know what it is to be Free. Some see the Fruit that comes by way of Walking in the Spirit and are inclined to credit talent or theatrics…even the ones who should know better. Some see the Light of someone else Walking in the Spirit and they get jealous because of the Benefits that come along with the Job. Some are so critical that they’ll look for an underlying “agenda” because they don’t understand Supernatural Gifts and Talents when they see them. Some people are so selfish that they can’t digest the idea that anybody could ever truly be selfless OR why they would even want to be. Some confuse the Light with the limelight and they can’t see the Beauty because they’re too busy judging the Purpose of the Light in the first place.

I understand what these people are like because I used to be one of them myself…UNTIL God called me out of my selfishness and Equipped me to Work just for Him. All those things I worried about giving up were out shadowed by Beauty, and all those things I fretted over wanting to accomplish just for myself were Out-shined by my Work for Him instead. I’m serving Him even when it isn’t easy, and I’m loving every minute of the Journey.

How about you?