Who's winning?

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Are we trying to live the Christian life in our own strength?  If so, we will lose out for the flesh is weak!


Scripture

“Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
(Mark 14:38 NASB)

Observation

The disciples had really good intentions. They had just finished supper with Jesus and now He wanted to go to one of His favorite places to pray. Jesus had been trying to tell them about what was coming but they really didn't understand. While Jesus is praying for His very life, the disciples are falling asleep. They just don't comprehend the urgency of the situation. In their hearts they truly believed that they would do anything to support Jesus. Peter had even declared that he would be willing to die for Jesus, and yet, within just a few hours he would deny Christ three times. The flesh won the day.

Application

How often do we become excited about spiritual things and we take off believing that everything is going to be different. Within our own power and strength we believe that we are going to live for Christ. Things are going to be different in the home, in school, in our relationships with others. However, if we try to do all of this on our own power, we will fail, for the flesh is truly weak. In our hearts, in our spirits, we are willing, but our humanity tends to win out.

But what happens when our spirits combine with His Spirit? This is where something supernatural happens. The weakness of humanity becomes grafted into the power of the Holy Trinity and we step into the movement or the stream of the Holy Spirit. This is what happened to the disciples on the day of Pentecost and Peter who denied Christ three times on the night of his weakness in the flesh, becomes the great preacher of the day. This promise of the Spirit was not only for Peter or the early followers of Christ, but for us as well. We are invited to take our human weaknesses, mixed with our genuine desire to follow Him, and unite ourselves with our Holy God. When this happens the formula changes. The spirit is willing, the flesh is weak, but the flesh in the life of the Spirit is world changing.

Prayer

Lord, may every day of life be a journey with You, and in the stream of Your Holy Spirit! Amen.

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