There is a Choice

"Mimi, you were right! I tried what you said and it worked!" There was laughter in his voice and a joy in my heart that was inexpressible. What a contrast to the conversation we had had earlier that day when he had first awoken. He woke up in a bad mood with a list of chores that he didn't want to do.

What had brought about the change in his attitude? What was it I had said that he tried and found to be true? It all began several days ago when Jack and his family were having dinner with me. After dinner something had happened that set him off into a fit of rage. Jack is twelve and sometimes it's hard for him to keep his temper. And like all of us there are many things in his life that are frustrating and can easily lead to outbursts of anger.

That night I had waited for things to settle down and then I took Jack aside and talked to him about the choices we have because we are Christians. I told him that as Christians we have the Holy Spirit inside us and we can choose to walk in the Spirit or in the flesh. I explained to him that it is much easier to walk in the flesh than in the Spirit because responding in the flesh comes naturally but walking in the Spirit involves denying yourself, denying what comes naturally, taking up your cross and following Jesus.

I took him to the book of Galatians and showed him what the flesh looks like, "sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar." Some of these things he was very familiar with and I explained the others as best I could. Jack will be thirteen next month and I know he will be faced at some point with everything on this list.

I told Jack about my own struggle. I explained that the stress of my situation caused me to want to lash out in anger and that I understood the struggle that he was faced with. We talked about how Jesus had given us and invitation to be his disciples but it involved a daily decision to deny yourself to take up your cross and to be like him. I told him that crucifixion was a slow death and sometimes it took a while for a sin to die.

I explained that when we chose to walk in the Spirit instead of the flesh our lives would show it. Just as it is obvious that someone is walking in the flesh because of their actions it is also obvious when someone is walking in the Spirit. A person who is walking in the Spirit will show the fruit of the Spirit,"love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control." This fruit isn't produced by the circumstances a person is faced with but instead his choice to walk in the flesh or in the Spirit.

"Jack, I'm so proud of you for making the decision to walk in the Spirit and not the flesh!" Jack didn't miss a beat, "Mimi, I'm proud of you too for making that decision." I thought my heart would burst. I know that it is a daily choice that it is an ongoing walk of faith but what a joy that I get to be on this pilgrimage with my grandson and that we can encourage each other along the way.