Spirit or flesh?
Adobe
I, like most people, am consumed with thoughts of my flesh.
I have the unpleasant experience of seeing myself in the mirror first thing every morning. I feel every ache and pain when getting up out of a chair. My physical senses are bombarded with stimuli, whether it be the delightful aroma of homemade bread fresh from the oven or the less-than-pleasant fragrance of an overflowing garbage can.
All day long, I engage with the physical world. Because I cannot see people's heart or soul, I interact with their external flesh.
When I look out of my office window, I see a majestic row of evergreen and oak trees. I deal with everyday physical needs, such as getting the oil changed in my vehicle, paying monthly bills, or running to the store to pick up groceries. These and many other real-life issues of the flesh consume the lion's share of my attention and effort.
As a Christian, I know that physical matters are not my only concern. I'm both a physical and a spiritual being.
Nevertheless, I often neglect the spiritual world due to the pressing nature of my physical needs.
I went to church today and was reminded that the spiritual world is far more important than the physical world.
First and foremost, God is spirit (John 4:24). People tend to think of the spiritual world as merely a shadow of the physical world, like a disembodied ghost who haunts his former house because he longs to occupy it in the flesh once more. But the fact that God is spirit and occupies a spirit world indicates which one is preeminent.
I was pondering that topic today while considering the scale and scope of the universe. It has been estimated that the edge of the observable universe is 46.5 billion light years away, and that is just the edge of what people can observewith the most powerful telescopes. Some scientists believe the universe is infinite. If so, a spirit God created a physical world that is so enormous it has no end. The implication is that the spiritual world is far more powerful.
As Christians, we know that physical matters are not our only concern, yet we may be unaware of what is occurring in the spiritual dimension all around us. We might not realize when we are engaged in spiritual warfare (Eph. 6:10-20). We may wonder why people in our family, office, or church are struggling, yet fail to see that they are under spiritual attack. We might engage with colleagues on a fleshly level and yet not recognize that the Holy Spirit is working in their life. Perhaps we were moved to tears when hearing about a ministry to the homeless but not realize that the Holy Spirit is inviting us to join him in that work.
There is an extensive spiritual world surrounding us, but because we cannot see or hear it, we often put it out of our mind. I have been convicted that I am too often distracted by my physical needs and miss what is happening in the spiritual world. Though I cannot see the spirit realm, it is more real and certainly more important than the flesh.
Jesus proclaimed, "Do you have eyes and not see; do you have ears and not hear?" (Mark 8:18). We must ask God to open our spiritual eyes and ears to the spiritual realities all around us. One of Satan's most devastating schemes is to keep God's people fixated on matters of the flesh so they overlook the far more important work of the Spirit.
When we walk in the Spirit, God works through us to do what only he can do. The Spirit always glorifies God, not us. The Spirit builds up rather than tears down the church. The Spirit unites rather than divides. When we work in our flesh, we can do things our way. But our work doesn't last, and it doesn't ultimately honor God. I have seen what I can accomplish in my flesh, and it isn't much! I'd far rather invest myself in the work of the Spirit. I pray that God will open your spiritual eyes and ears so you can discern the spiritual realities all around you.
 | Richard Blackaby is the president of Blackaby Ministries International and lives in Georgia. He travels internationally speaking on spiritual leadership in the home, church, and marketplace as well as on spiritual awakening, experiencing God, and the Christian life. Richard regularly ministers to Christian CEOs and business leaders. He has written or co-authored 33 books . This article was first published on RichardBlackaby.com. Used with permission from Blackaby Ministries International. Learn More » |
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