Pests We Tolerate

read›
Galatians 5:16
So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.
Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature
craves (v.16).

What kinds of pests would you tolerate in
your home? A recent survey revealed some
surprising results. Researchers found that
people would pay for an exterminator when the
following pests were found in their home: Twenty-four
percent would pay an exterminator to kill spiders; 27
percent would pay to get rid of ants; 56 percent would
pay to banish the bedbugs; 56 percent would pay to get
rid of rodents; 58 percent would pay to kill cockroaches;
and 87 percent would pay to have termites terminated.
The shocking thing about this survey is that, with the
exception of termites, half of the people surveyed were
willing to tolerate some unpleasant pests in their homes.


Paul reminded the Galatians that because of Jesus’
death, they no longer should tolerate the pests of sin in
their lives. Through Christ’s death, the power of sin was
broken. The Galatians had been set free from the yoke
of slavery to sin and legalism. With this new freedom
came the responsibility to resist the temptations of the
sinful nature and the privilege to live in and according
to the power of the Holy Spirit. When they willfully
chose to do this, they would absolutely not tolerate the
pests of sexual sins (Galatians 5:19), spiritual sins (v.20),
and relational sins (vv.20-21) in their lives. Instead, they
would bear fruit, and it would be evidenced in their
attitudes and actions (vv.22-24).


Let’s take a spiritual inventory. What pests—sexual immorality, idolatry,
hatred, anger, jealousy, fits of rage, divisions, self-ambition—have we become
comfortable living with? With spiritual diligence, let’s eradicate these pests from
our lives through reading God’s Word, praying, dwelling in community with
godly people, and living in the power of the Holy Spirit (v.25).


—Marvin Williams

 


more›
Read Colossians 3:5 and Ephesians 4:25 and list similarities and
differences between the two lists.


next›
From the lists in Colossians 3:1 and Ephesians 4:1, what
spiritual pests have you been tolerating in your
life? What steps will you take today to remove
them from your life?

 

 

love journey - a valentine story from invisiontx on godtube.com.