Denise White
Today is a new day, and I was reminded of the scripture in Galatians 5:22-24. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” I have been wrestling with life situations lately. I have been described as easy going, and I don’t use the same strategies as others to keep the atmosphere in order. I started to question myself because they were questioning me. But I have been reminded of scripture that has brought me back to peace and remembering I am not to conform to this world. This world has a pattern it lives by and one of these patterns is fear. The world is constantly living by fear, speaking of fear, provoking fear, and using fear to control others. A controlling spirit or fear spirit is not of God; “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” The world wants to invoke in us a worldly mindset of controlling others and walking in fear and causing fear. But, of course, that is not God’s way. The world doesn’t understand when we don’t engage in agreeing with fear or control over others. Because fear ultimately is a way to control others and situations, so the world thinks. But fear is a ploy of Satan and used in the world to control us.
When people in our life are trying to induce fear or control in us, even if they don’t know they are doing it, Satan uses others as his mouthpiece. Satan will use others words to speak lies to us. Today was a day of revelation for me as I have been wrestling with not fitting the mold of others expectations of me. No matter what, God has not given us the spirit of fear and I am not to conform to this world. If I am following the Holy Spirit, and I am walking in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, then I am right where I should be. I will have peace knowing I am following the Holy Spirit. The world can call this “easy going” but I call it following the Holy Spirit and remaining in peace. The patterns of the world are to induce fear in others to get your way and to control a situation but the Holy Spirit doesn’t control us. The Holy Spirit speaks to us peacefully and we decide to follow or not. The world speaks loudly, manipulatively, harshly, persuasively, lyingly, and threateningly.
My wrestling has stopped as I have recognized that the wrestling was because I was in conflict from within. The world and the plans the world has for me was in conflict with the plans God has for me. I am following God’s plan, and I may not know the details of His plans for me but when I do not conform to the patterns of this world and I follow the Holy Spirit by displaying my fruit of the Spirit then I will get to where God wants me to be. Peace be with you as you follow the Holy Spirit and do not conform to the world.
Denise White, In His Service
Author of Called to Truth, Your Journey to Truth
