"OUR OWN LITTLE WORLD!"

Galatians 5:13-18             (ESV)

"13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

16 But I say, WALK BY THE SPIRIT, and YOU will NOT GRATIFY THE desires of the FLESH.

17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for THESE ARE OPPOSED to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law."

To a degree, we all exist in "OUR OWN LITTLE WORLD"!  Myself, I had a "massive hemorrhagic stroke" several years ago, but some people are unaware there was even a problem.  My little sister died from cancer almost 20 years ago, but some people weren't even privy to the fact.  My parents divorced when I was four years old, but most just believe that was just between my parents.  We all have to live with "OUR OWN LITTLE WORLD" and the issues it brings to our lives.  

In the above scripture the Apostle Paul very adeptly tried explaining that our Spirit and our flesh are two separate beings, although they are housed inside the same tabernacle (body).  If we "walk by the spirit", we will not "gratify the desires of the flesh".   We all have different challenges in "OUR OWN LITTLE WORLD" that we must deal with, but if we walk in the Spirit we will not give into fleshly desires.  I have to fight off the desire to do things the way I desire!  Instead, I must surrender to the Spirit guiding me in the way scripture leads me to go. 

The conflict of "OUR OWN LITTLE WORLD" will continue.  The struggle to strengthen the Spirit man is one that my flesh man does not want to surrender to.  I must stay in GOD's Word daily and stay before HIS mercy seat to build up my strength as this battle continues.  

The second verse of the song "Old Man's Rubble" sung by Imperials in the late 1970's says:

"Are you puzzled by the way that you're behavin'

DO YOU WONDER WHY YOU DO THE THINGS YOU DO

Are you troubled by your lack of resistance

Do you fell that something's got a hold on you

Well deep within' you there's a spiritual battle

There's a voice of the DARKNESS and a voice of the LIGHT

And just by listening you've made a decision

'CAUSE THE VOICE YOU HEAR IS GONNA' WIN THE FIGHT"

We may be living in "OUR OWN LITTLE WORLD" but the battles we face are our chance to live for GOD and HIS principles.  The example (witness) we exhibit to others may be the only opportunity they have of seeing a Spirit man overcoming a fleshly man. We need to make sure "OUR OWN LITTLE WORLD" reflects the where we are headed and be ready to take others with us!