Stephen gave us some good advice this morning, based on Rom 8:14. Following a recent holiday to the East Coast where he had to search for parking, he talked about how we need to be led by the Spirit of God on a daily basis and used the word ‘advice’ as an acrostic:
Application
How often do we apply Rom 8:14 to our daily lives? Being led is a process, not just a one-off that happens at conversion or something which only happens annually. We need to be led by God’s Spirit every day.
Dedication
Like the ‘Record Breakers’ song, dedication is what we need in life, not just to win gold medals. We need to seek God to keep Him at the forefront of our lives.
Vision
It’s easy to be distracted by our surroundings and other people. We need to keep a clear vision of God if we are to walk daily with Him.
Inspiration
God inspires us as He leads us; He is our guide and our leader and we need to rely totally on His inspiration.
Chosen
We are chosen by and special to God, being adopted into His family. He has made those who were estranged from God His very own children and the fact that we are chosen gives purpose to our lives.
Eternal
When we’re purchasing Sat-Navs, we regularly need the maps updating if we are to be guided properly. Sometimes that costs money, though some companies now offer ‘free updates for life.’ God leads us every single day and His guidance is always bang up-to-date!
Rom 8:14 in the Message version says ‘God’s Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go!‘ We need to be tuned in to the Holy Spirit and walking according to the Spirit rather than the flesh if we are to do the works God has prepared in advance for us to do. (Eph 2:10)