Those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.

— Romans 8:5

There are two basic directions we can follow in life: our own desires or God’s desires. If we believe in Christ, we should aim to follow God’s desires.Here's a little test we can give ourselves. We can write down our desires in two columns. In one column we can note how many of our daily desires are for sinful or selfish things. In the other column we can note the desires we have for good or godly things. How many of our thoughts seek to satisfy our evil desires, and how many seek to do God’s will and show love to our neighbors? If your mind operates like mine, the first column will have lots of examples, and the second will have just a few.This is the spiritual and mental struggle of the Christian life. As believers in Christ, we have been reborn to new life in the Spirit. We are no longer stuck in the realm of sin and death, with its lies and false promises, but we are not yet fully regenerated either. Our life in the Spirit is a work in progress.Two systems are in operation. In one, our desires oppose God, and we continue to sin. In the other, we are newly reborn into a life powered by the Holy Spirit. Thankfully, we are justified by Christ’s fulfillment of the law and his finished work, and we are given eternal life through the Spirit. So we are freed from the curse of sin and death, and we are called to live by the Spirit so that we become like Christ. True life is found in him.

Spirit of God, you are the source of our new life. Fill us and guide our desires and actions. Do not leave us to our own desires, we pray. In Jesus’ name, Amen.