Walking in the Spirit – a Practical Guideಮಾದರಿ

Let’s Go Surfing!

I love surfing! That’s probably why, many years ago, God used surfing as an analogy to teach me about walking in the Spirit. Since then, that revelation has served as an invaluable guidepost for my walk with Christ.

Before I learned how to walk in the Spirit, I was stuck.  I was trying very hard not to sin, but I was having very little success. I would have good days by sheer force of will, but even on a very good day, on the inside, there was turmoil. Maybe I wasn’t doing anything sinful, but I was still thinking about it…a lot. And on a bad day…. well it was very bad. I knew that something was wrong. I mean, the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead was in me, yet I was not seeing any transformation. Somehow, I did not seem to have access to that power to change. I was thinking things I didn’t want to think and doing things I wished that I didn’t desire so deeply to do. Sure, my life looked Christian on the outside. I stopped partying. I went to church regularly. I was very adept at hiding my sin. But I knew that inside I was not changing. I was frustrated and unhappy.

If you can relate to this feeling, then read on to find out what set me free! The answer is found in Galatians. I’m going to share a surfing lesson from Galatians chapter 5. So, let’s get started! The first thing you need to know is that 'surfing a wave’ is code for ‘walking in the Spirit’. I’m going to teach you how to surf the wave of the Spirit! So, grab your bible (aka surf manual) and meet me in the water tomorrow!

Points to pray/journal:

· Are there any areas in my life where I feel stuck in habitual sin?

· Is my faith walk full of joy or does it resemble a painstaking trudge through the mud?

· Am I seeing progressive transformation into Christlikeness in my life?

· Holy Spirit, as I study scripture, show me how to walk with You, crucify my flesh and help me bear more and more good fruit.

Declarations:

· Through the death of Christ, I have been freed from the power of sin!

· And now with the help of the Holy Spirit (my Helper), my life is being transformed from glory to glory!