16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Galatians 5:16-18

As Christians, we read the Bible. We listen to sermons. We have many people telling us what to do and what not to do. But for the new year, how about simplifying things? There is this commandment and that commandment and this theological dilemma and that Christian existential crisis. Let’s put all of that to the side and simplify our lives. What do we do if we want to start right now and apply something practical to our lives instead of some abstract, unattainable ideology? How can we start to put God in our lives instead of just thinking about it?

Let’s boil it down to walking by the Spirit or gratifying the desires of the flesh. In other words, there is something God wants you to do. And there is something you want to do. Desires of the flesh include “sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies…” That sums it up pretty well. Most of us are guilty of gratifying our desires to differing degrees, of course. But we’re all guilty of it. So we recognize there are two ways to go, walking by the Spirit and gratifying desires. We want to avoid the latter.

Now, the only thing we should think is, “What does God want? What does He wish for?” That’s it. Starting right now, with every situation we encounter, we should stop and think, “What does God want here?” After we pose this question, we act accordingly. And “every situation” means every situation. We don’t pick and choose. It seems counterintuitive. Shouldn’t I do what’s best for me, my family, and my loved ones? Shouldn’t I consider what they want first? Shouldn’t I consider what my job demands? Shouldn’t I take into account what society and the greater good demand? What if I get divorced? What if I lose my job? What if my family falls apart? What if my business fails? It will sound strange, but don’t think about these things. Put these thoughts out of your mind. Think about what God wants. What are God’s wishes?

Thinking about only what God wants in every situation of your life is more challenging than you think. It requires you to deny yourself. You must pray, “Dear Lord, I will only adhere to Your wishes. For this to happen, I need You to manage and govern my thoughts, my will, my knowledge, and my movements.” We need to surrender to God and pray for Him to govern us with the goal of fulfilling His wishes. Then, we must ask for Him to give us the faith to believe in Him, to believe that He is all-powerful and omniscient. And finally, we pivot our lives- our minds, thoughts, and actions- to pleasing Him at all times. 2 Corinthians says, “So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.”

We have our priorities all wrong. With our children, we invest all our money into their education and worldly knowledge. By our actions, we’re telling them they need to do those things, satisfy those conditions to succeed in life. When it’s between church or school, how many times have we placed school above church? We need to be telling them to do what God wants them to do foremost- place His will at the top. We need to stop turning education and worldly knowledge into idols!

Just because we do want God wants, does it mean we fail in life? Will we starve and become laughing stocks? No! How many people have you seen who are miserable after spending their lives pursuing their selfish desires? If we simplify our lives and think about only what God wants, He will take care of the rest! He will give us the proper amount of money, the right job, and enough for others to believe in God’s power and mercy. In the end, we’re all trying to do what’s best for the ones we love. That’s why we tell them to study, work hard, and satisfy certain conditions for success. But maybe we’ve forgotten about the most important thing we can teach our kids. Don’t put yourself or your desires first. Put God first and think about what He wants.

Let’s simplify our lives. Let’s get rid of all the clutter, especially in our religious lives. Let’s think about one thing: what does God want. If we focus our entire lives on asking and answering this simple question, we will experience miracles. Things will change for the better. Our relationships will get better. Our job and businesses will get better. Once we prioritize things and place things in the right order, God showers us with His infinite blessings. Life becomes simple and blessed.

Click for Korean sermon https://soundcloud.com/yhpaik/1985-1-25-mixdown-1