A friend once invited my family to join hers at a holiday dinner she was hosting.
For such a large group, she set up tables in her backyard and asked if I could bring an extra tablecloth for the gathering. When I set out my tablecloth before our meal, she complimented it. I remarked that I'd tried unsuccessfully to sell it at a yard sale. She then offered to buy it. I momentarily pondered selling it to her—I could have made five dollars—but the Lord nudged me toward a different course.
“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” This verse assures us that those who have Jesus also have His Spirit. Possessing new creation life in Christ—and having His Spirit dwelling in us—we can trust Him for guidance in big and small decisions. He will lead us into a life that satisfies spiritual desires, training us to love what God loves and fulfilling the desires of His Spirit.
Studying that blue-and-yellow tablecloth in my friend’s backyard, I reconsidered selling it. Instead, I gladly insisted she take it for free. She had shown me hospitality, and I wanted to bless her in return.
As my family and I left for home afterward, I felt thankful I had listened to the Lord’s Spirit about giving away the tablecloth. This act satisfied God’s desires, and giving the tablecloth away also gave me joy.
When led by God’s Spirit, we can understand and follow God’s direction. As we do, we can fulfill spiritual desires instead of ungodly ones. No law dictated I give away the tablecloth. But God’s Spirit ushered me into something I wanted more than a few dollars: a spirit of generosity toward a sister in Christ and the blessing of being a blessing too.
Trust God’s Spirit to lead you to fulfill your call to a Spirit-filled life that marks you as His child.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay and Van3ssa.)
Allison Lee is a writer.