"Do Accordingly"

 "If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet." (John 13:14 KJV)

  "For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in the one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."" (Galatians 5:13-14 NLT)

 Taking this to the next level, I have been praying about the things I feel bad about not having done; asking the Lord to forgive me, realizing that the cost of not doing what I felt the Lord told me to do, caused me to do some of the things that I shouldn't have done. It really comes down to a very simple rule: You will either follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, or you will follow the guidance of your flesh! 

 You cannot obey both, even though you might think it is possible and assume that you have it all figured out. Watch the movie, "Brennan," based on the real-life story of Brennan Manning and the Ragamuffin Gospel. Lives get destroyed, even though you think that you are serving the Lord, but you serve yourself more! 

 The word Jesus used was "Mammon." Some people will associate that word with money, but that is only the root meaning of the word, because the concept is really about wealth; but not just the ability to make money, but the need to satisfy the flesh. It's the simple pleasures in life that cause you to get hooked; after your hooked, and after you have become accustomed to the pleasures of feeding the flesh, you are caught in something that is almost impossible to get out of. 

 That was the deal with the Rich Young Ruler. He had many riches and was able to live a certain way, he did not want to walk away from. In his own mind, there was nothing wrong with it; it was even good for God's work, because he could give so much away, without even feeling the cost. There is only so much you can do, but if you are not willing to do everything the God says, it is all worthless and is only for your own satisfaction. 

 Anywho; the point of what I am trying to say, with all earnestness, God can work with whatever it is that you feel is unworkable, as if you think it is all too late! As long as you have breath in your lungs, it is never too late for God to do that work in you.

 I can't help but think of Moses, who really had no clue what his purpose in life really was, until he was very old; older than I am, for sure! When God puts something on your heart, do it, whatever it is, it is most likely a test of your obedience. If you do it, then you will experience the power of God; if you don't, you will experience the power of your flesh...

"For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has and power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God's grace." (Romans 6:7-14 NLT)