It is a common joke that men don’t stop and ask for directions. We see memes made of it, TikTok videos with the wife rolling her eyes and pointing the camera at her husband while she is telling him to check his GPS, while he, with extreme conviction, declares, “I know where I am going!” Cue eyeroll! This post is about something more eternal, and that is what it means to be led by the Spirit vs being led by the flesh. These are the only two options for any of us, both believer and unbeliever. We are all led by either someone, the Holy Spirit, or something, the flesh. So, here is the question: When was the last time you asked for directions? Who tells you which way to go?
Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path
Psalm 119:105
One of the first Bible verses I learned in Sunday School (after John 3:16, of course) was Psalm 119:105. I can remember walking up and down my grandma’s hallway with my Bible open, holding it out in front of me as if it were a flashlight. I was quite a literal child. In many ways, when it comes to His Word, I still am. Do I wrestle with some of the harder truths in terms of application and timing, ABSOLUTELY! But, at some point, the reckoning comes where we have to decide whether we believe His way is the only way, or not.
The Bible tells us in Galatians 6:7-9, “For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” We can clearly see that the writer of Galatians was telling us that it is not just a one-time choice; it is a choice that we have to make intentionally and repeatedly.
Isaiah 30: 21 tells us, “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it, Whenever you turn to the right hand, or whenever you turn to the left, and John 10:27 reminds us that “My sheep know my voice, and they follow me.” Who has your ear? Whose voice do you listen to? What is the lamp you use to light your way? This is what it means to walk either in the flesh or by the Spirit. The determining factor is how much the Word of God determines the everyday choices you make.
You will know them by their fruit, Matthew 7:16.