Put your right foot in, shake it all about...

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. (Galatians 5:16-18 NLT)

When we allow someone to guide us, aren't we actually placing trust in where they will lead us, what they will allow us to do, and who it is they will have us interacting with along the way? This is the work of the Holy Spirit in a believer's life - acting as both guide and teacher along our path. Our sinful nature can get us 'lost' if we follow it and ignore the leading of the Holy Spirit. It cannot be trusted to have what is truly in our best interest in store for us.

The Holy Spirit won't ever 'misguide' us. Truth is truth - it is impossible for him to violate truth. He cannot be less than truthful with us, either. That means we may experience more than a moment or two of conviction when we choose to follow our own devices over his wise counsel and leading. It is part and parcel with choosing our own path - guilt and shame are a natural outcome of following our 'sinful cravings'. The Holy Spirit's goal was to keep us from ever experiencing any of those guilt or shame emotions, but when we chose our own way over his, we set ourselves up for those emotions.

The desires between our sinful nature and God's Spirit living within us are entirely different. We 'crave' things we shouldn't pursue - he prompts us to ignore and actually turn away from those 'cravings'. The more we listen to his voice, the more we will move toward truth and away from the lies of this world. We can trust him to lead us, even though we don't know exactly where he will lead us or what we will encounter along the way. His only interest is our well-being. His only task of concern today is to help us draw closer to Jesus in every part of our lives.

Who directs your steps today? Whose voice will you listen to the most? Whose 'advice' will you heed? If it is not the Holy Spirit's above all others (including your own), then perhaps it is time to spend a little time with him sorting that out. We cannot 'control' one minute, then ask him to take over the next, just to go back and forth like that all the time. We either have both feet in or not. This isn't a game of chance - it is a choice to live life in freedom and in grace. Just sayin!