Walking in the Spirit

For years, the first line of the song: “Looking for an answer, looking for some help,” was so true for me. I was searching. I had heard so many well-meaning people say: “find yourself” “take care of yourself” “put yourself first.” But it was an endless hole that was never filled. The more I thought of myself, the emptier my life became.

And for me, this idea of finding myself as a young person took on a whole new meaning. I am the daughter of the writer of self help books. In my late father’s obituary, Life Magazine gave him the title of: “The father of pop psychology.”

We are all born with that “God shaped hole it needs filling it’s my soul!” I had every bit of insight, knowledge, expert help one could find, but none of that could help me find the one thing I longed for: peace and joy. I bought books. I did every kind of self improvement. I saw a therapist. (Try doing that when everyone knows your father is a psychiatrist! Talk about a head trip!) I remember getting a list of affirmations that I was supposed to read in front of the mirror each morning. I would try to believe what I was reading. “I am assertive!” “I am confident!” etc, but I was the problem! There was no power in “I” (me.) I had nothing to hold on to!

Everything changed when I met Jesus and His Word and His power came into my life. “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” – 2 Timothy 1:7

As I began to look to Jesus Christ, I became stronger every day! Just as the songs says:
“I am walking in the Spirit, I am walking in love. Getting stronger every day, as I seek you as I pray, keep on walking with you Jesus, walking this way!”

I found that these things I was longing for were found in Christ. “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:19. Looking to anything other than God to fill us up is not walking in the Spirit, but in the flesh. There is no peace in that. It’s an unstable road that leads nowhere. Walking in the Spirit gives life! And my dear father who wrote those books found that life too in his later years when he gave his life to Christ. We sometimes went to church as I was growing up, but there really was no “walking in the Spirit.” It is when we are seeking Him with all our hearts, making Him a priority and surrendering all our wants, needs and desires to Christ is when life really begins.

When our purpose is to give glory to God, to rest in His will, we can truly live the abundant life He promises! It is a life full of possibility, full of purpose and extreme joy. Walking in the Spirit is a walk without heavy burdens. It is a walk with hope. Not done in our own energy but in the hope of the gospel. And a walk with a happy ending! From the song: “When you walk with God, you never tire. And as you walk each day, it gets brighter and brighter!”

I am so glad “Walking in the Spirit” is the title of my album. This song is all about the joy of the Lord. I had that joy writing it and singing it and now sharing it with you!

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