As my week of rest draws to a close I was asking, with a phrase that will always make me giggle, "Where do we go from here?" (For the explanation of that unfortunate romance see my Freshman year of college). God had me read Galatians 5 which starts with "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

Yes, that's what I want. To not burden myself again. But how? This chapter lays out pretty plainly that it's living life by the Spirit, not the law. Jewish law, Holly's law, whatever. I'm sure there are some guys that will argue with this, but, as I read this chapter I was equating circumcision with the rules I have put on myself. Painful and unnecessary for holiness. I actually divide myself from my savior when I depend on my rules to sanctify me, "You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace." And if I have taken any baby steps to freedom this week, I don't want to go right back to my yoke.

So I'm looking for a plan, for specifics, but specifics so quickly become rules. This chapter says "live by the Spirit." My law-loving self hears "fly by the seat of your pants." Ahh! It would be easier for me to require a 6mi. run from myself every morning than to rest and trust and live moment by moment watching for the Spirit's guidance. I'm not saying I would like it better, it would just be less work. Sort of.

All this to say, I don't have it figured out yet, but I'm realizing that maybe God is keeping me from too many specifics because he knows how quickly that will become my lifeline rather than Him. But on the other side, He does give me a lot of answers in His word, and I love His sense of humor. As I'm looking for a daily exercise plan this morning, this is what I read "So I say, walk by the Spirit..." Ha! Guess I'm supposed to become a walker.