Contemplative Bible Reading

Romans 8:15 (New Living Translation)

So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”

God gives spirit, and spirit lives in us all. What kind of spirit do I want living in me?

I can have a fearful-slave spirit. I don’t like the sound of that one. Even if I use the word “servant” instead of  “slave” … well, I still don’t like that one.

An alternative is the spirit of a member of the family. I can have the spirit that God gives to His children. Hmmm, child of God or fearful slave?

Why do I struggle so much with this decision? The choice seems obvious. Earlier Paul wrote something like “what a miserable wretch I am” to struggle with this choice. Yes, I guess that describes me on my lesser days. It doesn’t have to be that way. I don’t have to be that way.