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The Christian has the power of God’s Spirit living within him. The Spirit desires to produce “fruit” in our lives which is essentially improved character;

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. - Galatians 5:22-23

The Christian is not expected to produce these improvements on his own. However, the Christian is free to “quench” the Spirit and thus frustrate the cultivation of these qualities. This is done by yielding to the flesh. Sadly, this is often only thought of as “base” sins such as alcoholism, fornication, murder, or theft. It is tragic that Christian so often do not recognize that pride leads to contention and strife, greed leads to being “pierced” with sorrows, and fear can lead to worldly accommodation.

The bible says to “put to death” the deeds of the flesh. However, it also says to “make no provision for the flesh”. This paints a picture of “death” by starvation. The Christian can make strides in his “walk” by making assessments in the different parts of his life. The first would be those with whom he associates. Those who entice to indulgences of the flesh should be avoided.

Do not be so deceived and misled! Evil companionships (communion, associations) corrupt and deprave good manners and morals and character. - 1 Corinthians 15:33 - Amplified

It should be remembered that such corruption can include even the inflammation of passions such as political activism, class or race hatred, and get rich quick seminars. A second area of life to consider is how money is being spent. If all one’s surplus money is spent on leisure or other indulgences, it may reflect a reflexive indulgence of the flesh that might be altered to include some provision for others such as an elderly brother or sister in Christ or a young Christian mother who needs help with her family. There may be opportunities to connect with others that only wait to be recognized.

A third area to consider is how time is spent. It closely parallels how money is spent and also can benefit from consideration of how time might be used occasionally to aid fellow believers. A fourth area of life to consider might be called a life “trajectory”. A young person often pictures his future as going to college, getting a good job, buying a nice house, raising a family, and retiring in comfort. Some follow this course all the way to the end, yet at the end may question if this was the best use of their life. Altering a trajectory can be difficult because it is often tied to the financial momentum of a mortgage. Drastic changes may be considered, but usually slow incremental changes can be made as one grows spiritually.

The more progress one can make walking by the Spirit earlier in life, the less likely he will find himself tied to a trajectory he regrets. Parents who discover the benefits of the deeper Christian life can help their children learn at an earlier age so that they can benefit by avoiding more of the many pitfalls that can trap those who walk after the flesh.

Information about Christianity and the Christian life.