Imagine how Peter must have felt when Jesus announced He was going away. The impulsive disciple had a tough time following when the Lord was standing ten feet away; how much more difficult would obedience and loyalty be if Christ wasn't around to offer encouragement? We can certainly understand the disciples' fear and frustration. No one can follow Jesus in his or her own strength. But thankfully, we're not left to figure life out by ourselves. We have a Helper.

For many years I had the idea that, though my salvation was by faith, God's approval had to be earned. So I did my best but never felt it was good enough. I struggled, failed, tried again, and failed once more. I am grateful the Lord directed me to His better way.

Because God wants His children to experience victory, He equipped them with the Holy Spirit. When we yield to Him, He empowers us, guides us, and expresses the ways of Jesus Christ through our character, conversation, and conduct. On paper, this looks like a passive sort of existence, but in fact, we are constantly confronted with the responsibility to make a choice: we can either follow the Spirit's promptings or act in our own strength. The latter frequently ends in despair, disaster, or both.

Think about those days when you are "too busy to pray"—or the times you think, Why bother God when there isn't much going on? The truth is, you're then relying on yourself. But even when life is routine and boring, the Father wants us depending upon His Spirit to guide us on paths of righteousness.

The Spirit and Our Walk 
Galatians 5:16-26

Have you ever felt like quitting the Christian life? Perhaps you have tried to be the kind of person God wants you to be. You've established a consistent quiet time with the Lord, reading the Bible and praying. But still you seem to have one struggle after another. So you think that you might be missing something—or that maybe this life isn't all it's cracked up to be. Let this be a comfort: many believers, myself included, have toiled through a period of defeat.

The key to living a life of joy, peace, and victory is found in Galatians 5. Notice that I did not say a life without conflict or one free of temptation, trial, or heartache. Those are part of the human condition. But we can triumph through the power of the Holy Spirit.

In fact, today's passage makes clear how vital it is for believers to live a Spirit-filled life. When a person trusts Jesus Christ as Savior, he or she is saved and steps from darkness into light. But believers do not then just stand around. As followers of Christ, we fall in step with the Holy Spirit, who teaches us to stay on our feet when we are wobbly, to move uphill without tiring, and to stand again after we have fallen. We rely upon Him as our strength, guide, and comforter.

Does getting through a defeat feel more like crawling than walking? Thankfully, the Holy Spirit is right with you, and He has all the encouragement and power necessary to get you on your feet again. The Christian life can't be lived alone—rely upon God's Spirit to escort you each step of the way.

As today's passage indicates, the Lord gives us resources and abilities, and He desires that we use them well. One such gift is time.

In order to manage our days effectively, we should continually review them: What activities did we choose? How long did each one take? What were the results? This discipline will reveal what is most important to us.

In looking closely at our assessments, we can determine what drives our decisions about how to use time. Some people merely respond to circumstances for a majority of their day. They jump from one thing to the next, answering phone calls, reorganizing shelves, or doing anything that appears in their world at the moment. But this style of living misses the mark.

Other people spend their time according to desires. They want to relax, so they get home and watch television for the evening. Or they love to hunt, so they use their time to research equipment and locate wildlife in the forest. Desires are not bad, but they should not drive the bulk of our actions.

Thankfully, there are also people who live according to what they deem important. Loving God and serving others, for instance, are two biblical values that should, ideally, determine what we do with our time.

If you itemize your activities and their time consumption over the course of a week, you might be surprised at the dominating events. Each moment is a gift, so set aside a few minutes each evening to plan. Then revisit the way you spent the last 24 hours. This will help you to live purposefully. 

Every night before falling asleep, I write down my goals for the following day. Upon waking, I read through the list in order to focus my energy on what is most important. If this were not part of my routine, the limited hours available would not be utilized effectively.

The Bible clearly teaches us to use our days wisely. Time is a gift. Almighty God has given each person a span of days to live on earth. But our life is fleeting and uncertain—James compares it to a vapor that "appears for a little while and then vanishes away" (James 4:14). Time is also irrevocable—we cannot hit "rewind" and undo anything.

Considering this, it is foolish to waste such a precious resource. But so often, we do. Be alert to avoid these hindrances to living each moment fully and purposefully: 

• Misplaced priorities result in wasted opportunities. Our values will determine the emphasis we place on each activity and the amount of time we allot to it. 
• Procrastination and perfectionism soak up valuable time that could have been used to benefit the kingdom. 
• Lack of concentration drains time of its potential. For example, we have to train ourselves to focus on reading God's Word and not to get sidetracked. 

What values drive the way you utilize your time? Is there something that keeps you from living each moment in a way that pleases the Lord? You will never have a chance to live today again. Therefore, ask God for guidance and direction so that you can live each day with intention.