Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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The Mark of a Spirit-Led Life

Bible Reading: Galatians 5:16-26

Key verse: “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Galatians 5: 16)

DEVOTION

As the new year dawns we make resolutions to correct what has gone wrong, and to pursue a more faithful life. Apostle Paul in this portion does not begin with perfection, but with direction. “Walk by the Spirit,” pointing not to an achievement to be reached, but to a path to be followed.
Paul contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit. The works of the flesh reflect a life driven by self-reliance, control, and the pressure to secure one’s own worth. The fruit of the Spirit, grows from a life rooted in grace. A Spirit-led life begins not with striving for perfection, but with gratitude for what God has already given.
Gratitude reorients the heart from “am I doing enough?” to acknowledging “what God already done?” With gratitude we become less anxious about our failures and more attentive to God’s presence. Walking by the Spirit then becomes a daily posture of surrender, choosing to let God’s will shape our steps rather than allowing our fears, ambitions, or unmet desires to guide us.
Our liturgy and worship consistently remind us to approach God not with claims of perfection, but with honest acknowledgment and grateful trust in divine mercy. It inspires us to walk forward not free from struggle, but grounded in gratitude and open to the Spirit’s transforming work.
Paul does not present the struggle between flesh and Spirit as a spiritual failure.  Awareness of this tension is already evidence that the Spirit is at work within us. It comes through daily dependence, honest repentance, and grateful trust in God’s faithfulness. As we continue to walk by the Spirit, fruit begins to take shape over time, not as marks of spiritual achievement, but as signs of a life increasingly shaped by grace for the sake of others.
Paul’s invitation remains both simple and demanding. Walk by the Spirit. Begin not with the pressure to perfect yourself, but with gratitude for grace already given. Trust that the God who calls you into this walk is also faithful to sustain it. When gratitude leads and the Spirit guides, growth becomes God’s work, and our lives become quiet testimonies to His transforming presence. 

PRAYER
Gracious God, lead us by Your Spirit and shape our hearts with gratitude, that our lives may bear fruit through Your grace. Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
“God meets us where we are, not where we pretend to be.” - Brennan Manning

Fantin P. Varghese
St. Thomas Mar Thoma Church, Calgary, Canada
 

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