Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Jan/69

Contributor - Clifford P. Turkstra

Title - Let the Spirit Direct Your Lives

Topic - New Year's

Galatians 5:16b

1969 is going to be a year of decision. For some it will be going to university; for others, getting a job. Many couples will decide to marry. Other people will change jobs or move to a new city. For all of us there will be many decisions to make. There will also be many world problems requiring decisions: Viet Nam, Biafra, race riots, student unrest, monetary policy and the Arab-Israeli conflict. Similarly, our churches will be faced with decisions to build, to expand, to remodel, to call a minister, to set up budgets, to send out missionaries and the one decision which concerns so many of us: merger.

In all of these decisions the Bible calls us to let the Spirit direct our lives. That is, the Spirit must guide us whenever we make a decision. Often, however, we find that people are not lead by the Spirit, but by their human nature. They do as they please with no concern for God or his guidance, with devastating results, as Paul clearly points out in Galatians 5 : 19-21: immoral filthy and indecent actions, witchcraft, drunkeness, orgies and other things like these. Everywhere we turn we see these results. Our news media are full of them.

However, Paul does not stop here in his list of the results of letting human nature direct our lives. In the middle of these other atrocities he adds "People become enemies, they fight, become jealous, angry, and ambitious. They separate into parties and groups . . . " Galatians 5 : 20. Yes, anger, fighting and separating into groups are in the same category as immorality, drunkeness and orgies. They are all the result of letting our human natures rule our lives.

As 1969 begins we see that so much is controlled by human nature. Consider the world situation mentioned above. See for yourself how human nature causes the problems. Consider the situation within our church. When merger is discussed, people separate into groups, tempers flare in heated arguments which can continue for hours with no progress made. Notice the groups within your own congregation: cliques composed of people with the same church background of from the same province in The Netherlands, often making newcomers feel unwelcome or unwanted. Consider our personal lives: arguments between husband and wife, jealousy among children, children leaving home due to the "generation gap".

In each of these areas the insignia of our church, "Eendracht maakt macht" should become meaningful as we unite under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Yes, in every aspect of life we need the Holy Spirit to direct our lives into love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self control. Galatians 5 : 22, 23. These are the results of a 'Spirit directed life, for which we should strive in this new year:

Love: this is my commandment: love one another, just as I love you. The greatest love a man can have for his friends is to give his life for them. John 15 : 12, 13.

Joy: the disciples in Antioch were full of joy and the Holy Spirit. Acts 13 : 52.

Peace: I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. II Corinthians 12 : 10.

Patience: And Job said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." Job 1 : 21.

Kindness: And remember this! Whoever gives even a drink of cold water to one of the least of these my followers, because he is my follower, will certainly receive his reward. Matthew 10 : 42.

Goodness: In Joppa there was a woman named Dorcas who was a believer. She spent all her time doing good and helping the poor. Acts 9 : 36.

Faithfulness: I have done my best in the race, I have run the full distance, I have kept the faith. And now the prize of victory is waiting for me, the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day - and not only to me, but to all those who wait with love for him to appear. II Timothy 4 : 7, 8.

Humility: Of his own free will Christ gave up his equality with God, and took the nature of a servant. He was humble and walked the path of obedience to death his death on the cross. From Philippians 2 : 6-8.

These are the works of the Spirit, and the Spirit who has given us life must also control our lives. Galatians 5 : 25. May the 'Spirit direct our lives in 1969 !

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