Lighting Up Our City Video 5: In Step With the SpiritSample

Am I intentionally walking with the Holy Spirit each day? We are called to live by the Spirit and keep in step with Him. But how do we know if we are in step with the Spirit? How do we know if we are walking with God?

In today’s culture, it is often hard to know. We hear potential answers to these questions that run the spectrum from “If it feels good, do it” to “It’s not possible here on earth because we are all sinners.”

Thankfully, we have God’s Word, which provides us with the best answer to these questions. When we are “walking with the Spirit,” our lives bear fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal 5:22-23). So, first, I must look at whether my life is bearing any of the fruit of the Spirit.

Is there any evidence of it? How am I loving God and others? Do I have joy? Is there peace in my life that surpasses all understanding? Am I patient and kind? How good and faithful am I towards God and others? Am I gentle? Do I have self-control? Of course, we do not have all these qualities every moment of every day. But is there any fruit of the Spirit in my life?

While each of the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit are important, Jesus tells us that love is most essential—love of God and love of neighbor. When pressed about which of the Ten Commandments was the greatest, Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mt 22:37-39).

So, the truest test of being in step with the Spirit is examining our lives and our hearts to see how well we are loving God and our neighbor.

By Teresa Baumbach