Keep Choosing Life and Peace

My dear friends, we must not live to satisfy our desires.  

If you do, you will die. 

But you will live, if by the help of God's Spirit 

you say "No" to your desires . 

Only those people who are led by God's Spirit are his children. 

Romans 8:12-14 cev

•

It's voice is always there

telling me how to feel

telling me to look out for myself

telling me to make myself comfortable,

"I deserve to take a break...."

"Why do I have to do it all?"

"What about me?"

Listening to my old self

leads me down a dark road

lined with false promises of comfort

and happiness and relaxation.

But that road leads to shame

and death.

Having feasted on the flesh

I stand covered in carnage.

Hanging my head

filled with despair 

"What have I done?"

Will I ever end this love of myself?

•

People who are ruled by their desires think only of themselves. 

Everyone who is ruled by the Holy Spirit thinks about spiritual things. 

If our minds are ruled by our desires, we will die. 

But if our minds are ruled by the Spirit, we will have life and peace. 

Romans 8:5-6 cev

•

I have a choice.

I do not have to do what my feelings tell me to do.

I have the power in me;

not my power, but the power that raised Christ from the dead —

the Holy Spirit —

to turn and do what He wants me to do.

Then I will be filled with life and peace,

instead of death and chaos. 

•

This is what the Lord says—
      your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
   “I am the Lord your God,
      who teaches you what is good for you
      and leads you along the paths you should follow.
 ¹⁸ Oh, that you had listened to my commands!
      Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river
      and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea.

Isaiah 46:17-18 nlt

•

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, 

“I am the light of the world. 

If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, 

because you will have the light that leads to life."

 

John 8:12 nlt