The spirit led me to do it,” she said, describing her decision to cut off relations with her birth family. The relationship between parents and child was characterized by either intensely controlling “love” or unpredictable harshness. After years of this, she felt led to cut ties and told them so.
She told her friends that “the spirit” led her to the decision to cut her family off. Was it the Holy Spirit? Or the raw need to protect herself? Or was it the spirit of the Evil One, urging her to cut people off? Or was it indeed the spirit of Jesus?
We must examine each nudge that seems to be from a spirit of some kind, and measure it against the bold actions of our Spirit-led Lord. If it doesn’t measure up, then we need to pray for the strength to reject a false spirit and for guidance to recognize God’s true leading.
This message was adapted from “Act Boldly with Self-Control” written by Sue Gamelin that first appeared in the May 2006 issue of Lutheran Woman Today (now Gather) magazine.
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