How To Have God IdeasНамуна

Recognizing God Ideas: Part 3

God Ideas Promote Life and Freedom

God’s way of thinking involves you and me experiencing both freedom and life in and through Him. Both these benefits rely on us having a relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ, and we experience these benefits through our fellowship with the Holy Spirit.

Galatians chapter 5 talks about living by the Spirit, and it lists the results of that kind of life—you’ll recognize this list as the fruit of the Spirit, aka love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The same way that God desired Adam and Eve to eat freely of the fruit in the garden, He desires His children now to eat freely of the fruit of the Spirit. He desires us to walk in a freedom that is so free it results in a heart full of peace, actions spurring from a well of love, and a life sustained by unceasing joy.

How does this help us recognize God ideas? Simple: We can use the fruit of the Spirit as a measuring tool for whether or not we are walking in step with God’s plan for us. For example, if all of your peace goes out the window because of a decision you’re in the process of making, that’s a good indicator that you are not allowing the Holy Spirit to influence your decision-making. If a romantic relationship is obliterating your joy, you may want to pray about whether that relationship is glorifying God or not. If your career has made it impossible for you to love others, you may be prioritizing your career above your relationship with God. If the fruit of the Spirit is not there, then God’s plan for your life is not being experienced.

Now, I’m not saying that walking in the Spirit is always going to bring happiness. Happiness is that fruit that everyone wishes—and often assumes—is included in the fruit of the Spirit. We will go through trials and hardships in this life. Beginning a real relationship with God (and allowing that relationship to lead our decisions) does not automatically transport us back to paradise, as much as we might wish. It does, however, guarantee peace. It does produce joy. It does promote life and freedom.