I wish I could always get things right!

"Mom sometimes I know God is with me! He is in my house, in the car, in the sky" -Elijah

"That's right, He is everywhere and He is also living in our hearts" -Mom

"Yeah it's important that you ask Him in your heart. Especially if you do bad things because then He's not there" Isaiah

"Well honey He never leaves you even if you do bad things" -Mom

"But sin separates us from God He can't be around sin." -Isaiah

"That is true, that is right" -Mom

"I wish I could always get things right"-Elijah

"You do get a lot of things right, but no one gets it right all the time. Not Mommy, not daddy, not Isaiah"- Mom

"There was only one person who ever got it all right. Jesus never did anything wrong. He was the only one who was perfect" -Dad

"That's how we can have Him living in our hearts, because Jesus was perfect and died for us." -Mom


This was part of a conversation we had on the way home from church last night. Peter and I were struck by Isaiah's understanding of God's holiness. That He can not be in the presence of sin. We laughed when Elijah said "I wish I could always get things right" He said it with such frustration. I personally feel that frustration everyday. The battle of the flesh.

Sin and flesh...two words I cringe at. But after reading in Galatians I was struck that I personally make excuses for my flesh, for my sin. My justification of choice has been "Well that's how I feel" And that is an excuse. Feelings should never be the motivation factor for actions. The word of God and the Holy Spirit should be my compass in all that I do. It's can be hard and that's where the battle comes in. Now if I can combine Isaiah's understanding of God's holiness and Elijah's desire to have victory over the flesh I'll be doing good!

I say, then, Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary to one another; lest whatever you may will, these things you do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. Now the works of the flesh are clearly revealed, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lustfulness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, fightings, jealousies, angers, rivalries, divisions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkennesses, revelings, and things like these; of which I tell you before, as I also said before, that they who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control; against such things there is no law. But those belonging to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become glory-seeking, provoking one another, envying one another.
(Gal 5:16-26)


Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit