Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” Colossians 3:12

Some time ago I heard a pastor challenge a group of church leaders to “lead with the Word and be led by the Spirit.”

These principles apply to pastors for sure. If they fail to lead with the Word of God as the standard they will certainly fail because it is impossible to be led by the Spirit outside of the Word.

But this message applies to each of us as we consider a life saturated in the Spirit of God.

Think about the decisions you will make today. Will you consider what the Bible has to say about the way you conduct your life or is it possible your choices more accurately reflect the values of our society in 2021?

First, do I even know what God’s Word has to say about the kind of fruit a follower of Christ produces?

Secondly, how can I expect to be led by God’s Spirit if I fail to hide His word in my heart?

How is this kind of life expressed? Leading and being led is seen in our relationships.

It is impossible to produce genuine Christlike character described in the verse above by ourselves. A new heart is required. Then a growth process follows which can only take place as we submit to and obey the Holy Spirit. He nurtures those positive character changes that are reflected in our relationships.