So what’s the problem? Where are we going wrong? Well, simply put, when we try to be good on our own, it’s like we’re leaving out the most important part of the equation. Apart from God, and His Spirit in us, we are incapable of being or doing anything good. So no matter how hard we try, we’re only human and we just can’t do God’s job! We might need to ask ourselves the same question Paul had for the Galatians in Galatians 3:3: “Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?”
When we try to accomplish things on our own, not only do we limit God and what He is willing and able to do, we also end up worn out and frustrated. Sounds pretty foolish, huh? The awesome reality is that at the moment you trust Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, God places His Spirit—the Holy Spirit—inside you...to guide and direct, strengthen and encourage, comfort and heal, and give you everything you need to live the Christian life!
Galatians 5:25 goes on to say, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” “Keeping in step with the Spirit” means acknowledging His presence every minute of every day through every decision, every struggle, in every relationship, recognizing you are weak, but He is strong. And it takes practice! But the more you do it, the more natural it becomes. So, how ‘bout it...will you stop “trying harder” and start “depending on the Spirit”?