Dave's Diary

Daily Reading: Galatians 5:13-26

Today’s passage has a beautiful message of hope: By the grace of God, your personal faith in Jesus Christ has released in you a life-transforming work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God is at work in you to transform you into a person of selfless love in a world of self-centredness, a person of abounding joy in a world of despair, a person of peace in a world of conflict, a person of patience in a short-tempered world, of kindness in a cruel world, goodness in a world of evil, faithfulness in a world of betrayal, gentleness in a harsh world, and self-control in a world given over to its own lusts. And, most wondrously of all, this transformation is not something you need to manufacture. It is something the Holy Spirit is already at work in you to accomplish.

Your role – the role of every Christ-follower – is to “live by the Spirit” (v.16), which means to live trusting in the Spirit’s life-giving power at work in you and not in your own determination. Furthermore, your role is to “be led by the Spirit” (v.18), which means to pay active attention to the prompting and leading of the Holy Spirit within you. And as He leads, so you are to follow or, as v.25 says, “keep in step with the Spirit”. This is not a theoretical following, it is a practical, lived-out following – for which the Holy Spirit will actively empower you. As you step out … He will empower. What wondrous good news!

Holy Spirit, I give myself to You today. Transform me, lead me and empower me I pray. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.