Living in step with the Holy Spirit sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? Just imagine a life which is full of love, joy and peace, and all the other beautiful fruit of the Spirit. This must surely be life at its best, but, as the apostle Paul knew, the life of the Spirit has to be lived out in a world in which sin is still alive and well.

I often hear people express disappointment about their church. They have found that there is a big gap between the pure life of the Spirit and the attitudes and actions of their Christian brothers and sisters. Paul was clearly well aware of this, and it is significant that he follows this challenge to live by the Spirit with the reminder that the Galatians needed to stop being conceited, provoking or jealous.

We cannot be sure what was in Paul’s mind as he wrote these words, but he was likely concerned about those who had become conceited because they believed that they were more spiritual than others. Those who continued to obey the Jewish law strictly looked down on those who, like Paul, believed that all that was necessary was to have faith in Jesus. Tensions easily spring up in any community, and Paul knew how important it was to act before they became totally destructive.

Paul had his feet firmly planted on the ground. He knew both how wonderful it was to live a life directed by the Spirit and, at the same time, how easily that life could be disrupted. We need to be alert in just the same way.

What are the challenges you are facing as you seek to live in step with the Spirit?

Loving God, thank you for the strength you give to me day by day as I seek to live in step with the Spirit. Amen