
I drive a 2015 Hyundai Sonata hybrid. As I was pleasantly noticing the amount of gas still in the tank, I thought having a hybrid vehicle takes advantage of the best aspects of both gas and electrical power.
This led me to consider spiritual power. For living a spiritual life in Christ, a hybrid model won’t work. We can either be walking in the Spirit or walking by the flesh, but we can’t successfully meld them together. “Those who are dominated by their sinful nature think about sinful things but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. Letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death, but letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.” Romans 8:5-6
The church at Laodicea tried to blend worldly comfort and accomplishment with the things of God. Jesus said they are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold and that He would spit them from his mouth. Revelation 3:16
Why can’t the Spirit of God and the spirit of the world combine in the life of a believer? The world urges us to preserve our lives, the Jesus tell us to lay own our lives. Those walking in the Spirit listen and respond to the word of God while those walking by the flesh prioritize feelings and human perceptions.
I came across this very idea as I was reading The Pursuit of God (A 31 day Experience) by A W Tozer.
True Spirituality A W Tozer
- First is the desire to be holy rather than happy.
- A man may be considered spiritual when he wants to see the honor of God advanced through his life.
- The spiritual man wants to carry his cross.
- Again a Christian is spiritual when he sees everything from God’s view-point.
- Another desire of the spiritual man is to die right rather than to live wrong.
- The desire to see others advance at his expense is another mark of the spiritual man.
- A spiritual man habitually makes eternity-judgments instead of time-judgments.
Lord, I repent of clinging to things of this world and allowing myself to keep walking in the old way of self instead of completely yielding to your Spirit. I desire to cast off anything that is entangling me as I walk by faith in you alone.