The Spirit Man

I took this photograph on the way home from the Nebraska. At the time I was intrigued by it because it seemed as though God had blown the clouds into a form to resonate with the Holy Spirit wind that also lives in me. I would wait on posting the picture until God showed me in His time the message to accompany it.

Yesterday I heard a powerful message about the authority we have in our spirit over our flesh. It is an interesting concept that I must concur with after consulting the related scriptures. Consider:

You know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize. So run to win! All those who compete in the games use self-control so they can win a crown. That crown is an earthly thing that lasts only a short time, but our crown will never be destroyed. So I do not run without a goal. I fight like a boxer who is hitting something~~not just the air. I treat my body hard and make it my slave so that I myself will not be disqualified after I have preached to others. 1 Cor. 24-27
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I might argue that discipline is Good Orderly Direction...G O D. The indwelling of the SPIRIT strengthens us to resolve to have authority over our flesh. Easy?? No, at least not for me. Consider the new year resolutions centering around food and exercise that we so often make. In fact, excesses of all kinds are confessed. How long do those resolutions last? However, that self-control word used above in scripture is one of the fruits of the SPIRIT...you know, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, SELF-CONTROL. (Galations 5:22-23) Did you get that? It is a fruit of the SPIRIT.

As I ready myself to go skiing again I am convinced that the discipline of exercise and strengthening my core muscles will make the experience much more enjoyable because I have made my body submit to exercise and good eating. We have spiritual muscles that must be engaged in order to run the race. It is not a race of works, but a cooperation with the power of the Spirit to walk out the subjectiveness of the flesh to the Spirit. It is about loving ourselves enough to choose to engage that God-given power. It is a race that can only be run effectively with the acknowledgement and help of the Lord. I want that crown for running the race well so that I will have it to toss at the feet of Jesus when I see him face to face at the finish line.