Scripture: 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another. [Galatians 5:22-26 NLT]
It’s a pretty popular item in our culture today. I know several people in our church who have purchased them. They range anywhere from $50 for a small one to over $3,000 for a top of the line model. Most people use them for enjoyment, but others use them for photography and videography. There is even a league where people are very serious about racing these items and competing against other racers. The item to which I am referring is a drone. The most common drones are called quadcopters. They have four separate propeller mounts and come in all different sizes and styles. My daughter bought one and it has been both fun and frustrating. It turns out that it takes a little bit of time and a lot of practice to learn how to control them. After many hours of practice she was able to fly it and control it pretty well.
Have you ever had this type of experience? Maybe you have never tried to control a flying drone, but I am certain there are things in life you have tried to control. We all have tried to control our reaction to certain things in life. We have also tried to control our finances, our weight, our tongue, our schedule, and the list goes on. Some things we may have been able to control with relative ease. I was talking with someone this last week who said their weight has never fluctuated more than 8 pounds their entire adult life. It has been easy for them to control and I don’t like them very much, of course I am kidding. Other things may have been difficult for us to try and control. Some people find handling their finances a very difficult thing to control. Whatever it may be we have things in our life we try to control.
Our Scripture passage for today flips this idea of control on its head. The passage starts out with the statement, “But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us…” Did you catch that? We cannot control the Holy Spirit! We shouldn’t even try to control the Holy Spirit. Living life in the Holy Spirit is about yielding control. We give up control and allow the Holy Spirit to control our lives. The result is fruit, fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Paul goes on to say that the way we yield control to the Holy Spirit is to follow. Paul writes, “If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.” The key to yielding our lives to the Holy Spirit is following the Holy Spirit’s lead. In order for this to be an effective reality in our lives we must yield every part of our life to the Spirit.
Today don’t try to control things, rather yield. Yield every area of your life and let the Holy Spirit lead you. Let go of your selfish human passions and desires and let the Holy Spirit lead and control. As the Holy Spirit controls your life today you will find yourself experiencing more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It’s all about who’s in control.
Prayer: Holy God, I yield my life to your Holy Spirit today. Lead me where you want me to go. Put me to whatever you want me to do. Inspire me to say the words you would have me say. I am yours and I am not in control. May you receive all the honor, glory, and praise through my life today. In the name of Jesus. Amen.