In my talks with fellow Christians, there is MUCH confusion over what it means to be led by the Spirit.  Moreover, even among those you understand the idea of being led by the Spirit, there is often a hesitancy to actually allow the Spirit to lead in their lives.  I’m amazed at how often I will run into Christians, who will try to talk someone out of God’s calling into ministry or God’s calling on an aspect of their life because it doesn’t match up to worldly wisdom.

“Oh you want to be a missionary, that’s great!  But wait, you’re going where?  Don’t they kill Christians in that country?  You shouldn’t take your wife and newborn child with you there, what is wrong with you?  God wouldn’t want you to put them in danger.”

“Why are you talking to and praying for that person?  Don’t you know what they’ve done?  Don’t you know where they were last night?”

“Why do you continue to pray for and pursue that person?  There are a lot of girls out there to marry.”

“Why are you waiting for God to bring you the perfect Christian girl?  Just marry someone who is a good person.”

“Why do you preach about God’s judgment and sovereignty?  No one wants to hear about God’s righteous wrath.  Why not just tell people God loves them, and leave it at that?  You want to be encouraging, right?”

The list goes on and on and on.  Ultimately, there is wisdom in getting counsel from other believers, but where the Bible would contradict their counsel, we should trust the Lord and make Him our refuge.  I have to say, there are few things that are more discouraging to me, than to see a brother or sister in Christ, actively counseling me against pursuing the will of the Lord.  Where would they have me go when the only hope I have is with Christ?  What would they have me do?  Would He that led me to the cross, suffered in my place, bore the wrath reserved for me, now lead me astray?  If He leads me into suffering, so be it, blessed be the name of the Lord.  If He leads me into blessing, so be it, blessed be the name of the Lord.  If He does not lead me, I will wait for Him, because any step without His leading will only lead me away from the One I love.

Galatians 5:16-26 – “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.  Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” 

At it’s core, being led by the Spirit is being led by the love of Christ.