Feeding the Flesh
“For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”
— Galatians 6:8 (KJV)
I enjoy letting the Bible app play while I go about my day. On this particular occasion, I was listening to the book of Galatians when the verse above leapt into my soul. I began to reflect on how God sent the Holy Spirit to guide and direct us. When we come to a crossroads, the Spirit often places a check in our hearts. Yet, many times, we ignore that gentle prompting and choose to follow our flesh instead.
Looking back, I can recall many times when I acted on impulse—whether making unnecessary purchases or deciding to attend an event I knew I shouldn’t. Each time, I ignored the Holy Spirit’s nudge, pressed forward with my fleshly desires, and suffered the consequences. That “pause” within us is the Spirit whispering, “Wait. Check in with Me. This may not be a good idea.” But too often, we brush it aside because our flesh wants what it wants.
The passage above isn’t only about avoiding obvious sins. It applies to every area of life where we must learn to surrender our flesh. For example, when we feel the urge to speak harshly but sense that pause urging us to hold our tongue, we must obey that voice. There have been times when I clearly heard the Spirit tell me, “Keep your mouth shut. Don’t say a word.” In those moments, I’ve had to literally walk away because the temptation to speak was so strong. God is pruning us daily, and when we resist His correction because our flesh craves its own way, we reap the fruit of disobedience.
Scripture says, “My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me.” As children of the Most High God, we are given the ability to hear His voice. We have no excuse. James 1 reminds us: “Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death.”
Prayer
Father, thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit, who always leads us toward righteousness. Help us in moments of temptation when our flesh desires its own way. Remove the scales from our eyes, silence the noise in our ears, and crush the cravings of our flesh so we may hear and obey Your voice above all else. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Key Takeaways
Every action is a seed sown—either to the flesh or to the Spirit.
God’s sheep hear His voice.
“For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
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