Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1Thessalonians 5:23
Here is the correct alignment of the human creation, spirit, soul, and body. For most they’ve never considered this way of living life. That our spirit in agreement with the Holy Spirit is to be making decisions for us utilizing the ‘will’ the Creator has given us. What is our ‘will’? It is the thing from which we make our decisions and choices. How we come to those choices is often a complicated thing for most individuals. For many their intellect plays the dominant role, and for others their emotions and feelings play the dominant role in decision making. I suggest another ‘way’ of making decisions. Ask the Holy Spirit for the ‘way’ you should go. Have that ‘open’ line with Him in conversing with Him all day long and discuss it with Him concerning your decisions. Allow Him to guide you. Who do you think knows a better way to go? You or the Holy Spirit? Who knows you better? You or the Holy Spirit? Do you know how many hairs are on your head, or should be on your head? Don’t diminish His desire to walk with you and guide you.
In pondering the human creation and how it is made, with all three parts, which interact with dimensions and spiritual entities that are beyond our physical senses, it takes the revelation, inspiration, and epiphanies by the Spirit of God to just begin to understand the complexity and beauty the Creator has designed, in which you now sit reading this devotional. Whew! (that was too Paul-like…lol) We grow by learning and exploring. And everyone can explore their own soul by utilizing the Guide (Holy Spirit) and Designer (Father) and asking for understanding. Is your spirit giving the ‘orders’ for your soul and body? Meaning = is your will making the decisions for your life or are you led by your fleshly bodily desires and craving nature, or by the soul’s ocean of emotions and feelings?
Are you making decisions for your body disciplines (what you eat and how you exercise)? Are you giving your soul disciplines (fasting and prayer) as well? Are you disciplining your spirit to ‘listen’ to the Holy Spirit BEFORE reacting via the body and soul first? I’ve heard the saying we are to be ‘thermostats and not thermometers’ when it comes to our lives and how we are supposed to interact with the world around us. But what is it that makes a thermostat different than the thermometer? The sensor. The thing that indicates when to adjust the mechanism that can change the atmosphere around you. What do you think should be the ‘sensor’ in our lives? Duh. How can we change the atmosphere around us if we never allow the sensor do what it is supposed to do?
Can your will rule over your ‘mind’ and intellect? Can you make a decision that doesn’t currently make intellectual logical sense? Can your will rule over your body when it is screaming for you to stop doing something? Of course, we all have examples out there of people who are able to do this. The quality and rightness of the decision will be shown through the resulting consequences whether it was good or bad. Who do you know that can give you the best advice on decision making? Maybe the One who actually knows your future and the way you should go?
Should our spirit be listening to the One who actually is indwelling our own body as His temple? Or do you tell Him what you are doing and asking Him to bless what you want to do? Or are you following His direction and instruction? There is a mighty gulf between those two.