Daily Devotion Tuesday October 19

Tuesday
Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit...      ~Romans 7:6
Why do you do what you do? Why do you give? Why do you serve? Why do you make better choices? Is it because you feel guilty? Duty-bound? Because you’re afraid not to? Do you think God will be happier with you, or somehow you’ll make up for something you did wrong in the past? How’s that working for you? Paul says those are the old way of living. When we come alive in Christ, we live in the Spirit. We respond to the promptings of God’s Spirit because we are walking with God, not because they’re a list of things we need to do in order to stay out of trouble.
Motivations from law are powerful – for a while. But it’s not enough to sustain us. When we are moved by the Spirit, we find the energy to continue to give, serve, and love even when it’s difficult or inconvenient.
Prayer: God, reveal my motivations to me. Help me to walk in new life in the Spirit, rather than the guilt and shame of the past. Amen.