Spirit Led Living

2 Tim 4:7  "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."  I admire Paul's confidence in saying this without being in the least bit arrogant.  Every day I have to challenge myself to walk the walk so that when my time on this earth draws to a close I too can utter these words knowing, that while nowhere near perfect, I have given my all and done my best for the Lord. One of my axioms is that perfection is a destination, but excellence is a journey and the joy is in the journey.  The closer that I get to God, the more time I spend in His Word, the more I find myself lacking.  Don't get me wrong, this is not about guilt or shame.  That is what the enemy would like to turn it into.  He would love to point out all the situations where I have fallen short in order to discourage me.  I am talking about the "holy discontent" in my spirit placed there by the Holy Spirit as God spurs me on to be more like Him....

Matt 4:1-2 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. As a Christian, when we encounter trials, pain, loss and difficult times we just naturally pray against them as an attack from the enemy. While they certainly are a result of his work, we need to remember that often it is God who is allowing it for His purposes. James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. We don’t enjoy pain and suffering, but we sho uld rejoice when God allows us to endure it so that His work in us can be made complete. 1 Peter 1:6-8 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire...