Read
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Meditate
Today’s message
God created us with desires. To eat, to be loved, to prosper. The problem is not desiring; the problem is when desire takes its place and decides for us. I repeat what I taught: not every desire needs to be fulfilled. Not every will deserves a response. In a culture that pokes the impulse with every notification, we need to regain control. Desire is a servant, not a master. When it takes the throne, it distorts perception, as it happened with Eve: she saw, desired, took, and ate. Before the action, there was an unchecked desire.
Paul did not tell you to stop desiring; he commanded: walk in the Spirit. It is another foundation, another strength. James reminds us: desire, when it conceives, gives birth to sin. Therefore, between impulse and action, I insert a question. In Philippians 1:23-24, Paul desired to depart, but preferred to remain for the sake of the people God entrusted to him. This is maturity: recognized desire, but submitted. When the Spirit governs, the heart learns to choose the eternal over the immediate.
Two governments compete for control
- The flesh — desires inclined to sin, pushing for immediate satisfaction.
- The Spirit — God's direction, which shapes character and sustains eternal choices.
What I consider most valuable will govern my desires.
I want you to see how governance happens in practice. Moses refused the privileges of Egypt for seeing the greater reward. Esau traded his birthright for a bowl of stew. David, with an uncontrolled gaze, opened a painful door. And Jesus aligned us: seek first the Kingdom. Before moving forward, ask the question that saves futures: am I sacrificing my future to satisfy my present? When the answer comes, the impulse loses strength.
Walk the order that sustains choices
- I consider: what is more valuable before God? Put the Kingdom first.
- I prefer: I choose what builds up, even if it hurts now; I think of the eternal reward.
- I refuse: I say no to what robs me tomorrow; I flee from the place of the fall.
How do we walk in the Spirit? By filling our lives with Him: prayer, fasting, Word, and fellowship. It is not just willpower; it is daily direction. When I find something greater — Christ and His Kingdom — disordered desires lose their shine. Repeat with me throughout the day: sin will not dominate us. Sanctification is a real walk: small, firm steps, guided. Place thought between impulse and action. And if you fall, cry out: He answers and delivers. Today, let the Spirit take the throne. The rest finds its place.
Did you know
- Hebrews 11 states that Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing the reproach of Christ for considering the reward greater.
- Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of lentil stew, despising a right of spiritual and familial inheritance.
- In 2 Samuel 11:2, David saw Bathsheba from the rooftop; the gaze fed the desire and resulted in adultery and blood guilt.
Key phrases
- He will not tell you to stop desiring, but He says walk in the Spirit.
- Not everything I desire is what I need.
- The problem begins when desire ceases to be a servant and becomes a master.
- We overcome desires not just because we say no. We overcome because we find something greater than our desires.
Translated from the Portuguese original.
Seek
To seek today
Go deeper
Go deeper
Govern your desires - Pr. Alex Nascimento
Watch