My heart started beating so hard I thought it was going to pound out of my chest. My spirit was saying, “Go and say it!” while my insides felt like they were about to explode. I felt Holy Spirit telling me to say something so I went up and did. As I spoke, it felt right, but as soon as I was finished, doubt and embarrassment started to creep in. Why did it feel so right just a few minutes beforehand? Was it really Holy Spirit telling me to say something or just my flesh? A mental battle ensued in my heart and mind for quite some time afterward. Have you ever felt this way? You feel something so strongly that it almost equates to a feeling of disobedience if you don’t do it? Then once you do it, you are filled with doubt. It can be scary to follow through on these types of interactions with the Holy Spirit. Fear and doubt can cripple us from obeying. The desire to obey can be so strong that it propels you forward. It’s a crazy dance inside your heart and mind.

Galatians 5:16 states, “walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” Walking by the Spirit can be quite vulnerable. It’s a constant check of “Is this You, God, or just me?”. This verse promises that “you will not carry out the desire of the flesh”. If we are honestly and humbly trying to walk by the Spirit, we can walk a little more confidently knowing that our proddings aren’t always just our minds making something up. We learn to hear His voice the more we listen.

After a time of mental battle, someone came up to me and shared that what I spoke was encouraging and they were thankful that I’d said something. You never know who will be blessed by your obedience. God is looking for our “Yes” as we are led by the Spirit. Let us continue to have a heart of humility and vulnerability as we walk by the Spirit.