July 18 Thought for the day...there is a high cost

I remember some years ago ministering to a man I thought was in his late 60's to early 70's. I spent hours helping him through some of his problems. His face was sunken, his nails brittle, many of his teeth were missing. He was typical of many homeless men I had met over the years who had lived a hard life on the streets. However, not only had alcohol been his choice of vice but so had many harder drugs and concoctions of common household cleaners. My heart went from brokenness to shock when he told me he was only 38.  Paul talks about the cost we pay in Galatians 5:19

"Now the works of the flesh are evident..."

The word Paul uses for "work" is the same word that is often translated vocation or job. When the flesh is reigning in our lives, it is just like our job. In our vocation, we work very hard to reap the benefits of our labors. The flesh does the same thing from us, it will reap...the flesh — if it is allowed to go its own way and do what it wants — will work very hard to produce fleshly results. When our flesh is not surrendered to the Holy Spirit, it will work overtime to accomplish what it wants to gain fleshly results.

The word "flesh" refers to sinful impulses and desires. Paul is implying here that it has its own desires. If a believer is not able to crucify their own flesh, it will have its way in that believer's life.

The last word I need to expand upon is "manifest." This word means, it will appear, be made known, become conspicuous. If allowed to have its way, our flesh will become very apparent through things like... (Galatians 5: 20, 21) uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,  envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like.  The very things we long for, love, peace, joy, will be robbed from us. The fruit of the flesh will only hurt us! The gentleman I was talking to had never heard the Gospel, never knew there was another way other than the way he lived and the flesh reaped its toll on him. It cost him everything.

You may not be an alcoholic, drug addict, or abuser of some other type of substance, but you could be allowing bitterness, anger, frustration, fear, jealousy, or rebellion rule your heart. These things age you too quickly and rob you of precious life and your destiny. There is a very high cost to giving in to your flesh and God has an amazing plan for your future, but His cost is crucifying our flesh in exchange for His life and destiny