The Squeeze of Life

You know, there’s a lot of things that we don’t agree on as people, whether it’s a community or family or church or a business. A lot of things we don’t agree on, but I would say most people would agree that someone’s character matters. How they go about living life, how what they represent, how they treat people. We would agree that character matters.

And yet, have you ever been in a moment where you’re being squeezed and you’re not sure what’s going to come out of you in that moment? Maybe it’s at work. Maybe it’s in a relationship, maybe it’s financial. You start feeling the squeeze and you’re like, “Oh gosh, I really want to say this or do this, but is that the right thing?”

And we’re conscious of it, and some of us aren’t conscious at all. Whatever comes out just comes out. I remember I had just given my life to Jesus. I had surrendered my life, my will, and my way, trying to become like Christ. It had been about 9 or 10 months and I was a sophomore in college. I got a call from my best friend from high school and he says, “Michael Alecky, who was one of our friends in our friend group, has been in a tragic accident and they’re trying to gather all of his friends.”

So we’re all two years removed from high school, and we hadn’t really seen each other because we all moved out of our small town in New Mexico—Roswell, New Mexico, UFO city. I’m in Dallas and my other buddies are in Lubbock, and we have friends all over the country at different colleges. Our friend group was about 30 people, about 20 guys, ten girls, and people were just making their way back. It took a few days because people were trying to figure out how to financially get back. We get to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where our friend is there fighting for his life.

This friend group was an interesting friend group because it was filled with all broken people. That’s where I was really struggling with my addictions to alcohol and drugs, and I had just really found a place where that grew. These were the people who helped me grow that addiction. And now I’m back trying to follow Jesus, trying not to live according to my old character, but the character of Jesus. I’m now in this position where none of my friends know I’m following Jesus because I don’t do life with them anymore. We didn’t have cell phones back then. Nobody’s texting every day. Nobody’s posting about this stuff. So I was just kind of isolated in my own world with new people, and suddenly I’m back in my old world.

For those of you who have struggled with addiction, you understand when you are a recovering addict, and you’re in a situation that’s going to squeeze you, it’s really scary. We don’t need situations to squeeze us; we squeeze ourselves every day as addicts. And now I’m going to be in a place with a few dozen friends in a very emotional state. We’re at the hospital, and I’m the only one who’s a believer in Jesus, and they don’t know I am.

My buddy Michael’s mom was a Christ follower. So we’re in the hospital room and she begins to pray. And it’s so awkward for everybody else because they don’t know what to do. They don’t pray, and most of them don’t even believe in a God. I had just started praying and I could last about ten minutes. So when Michael’s mom kept going and going and going because her son is fighting for his life, one by one, friends started to leave the hospital. They were gathering outside, figuring out, “Okay, what’s the local bar we’re going to go to? How are we going to remember Michael?” because we thought he was going to die.

I’m the last one in the room, and I leave and I go to hang out and I’m thinking, “What am I going to do? I just need to stay clean tonight. I don’t need a drink. I don’t need to use anything.” I could tell by the way things were happening—they were getting people hooked up that night, all sorts of things were going to happen, just like when we were in high school. We’re at a dinner, though it really wasn’t a dinner; we’re at a bar and everybody’s just eating fried food.

Somebody notices that I’m not drinking. Well, I used to be the ringleader of my group. I was the one making sure everybody had a drink. I was the one who did all the crazy stuff. And I was like, “I’m not drinking tonight.” I wasn’t bold enough to share my faith yet. I was just trying to be a good person. Finally, they were giving me such a hard time because everybody’s already a few drinks in. There are plans for after we leave, and I just say, “I’m going to go back to my hotel and maybe stop by the hospital on the way.”

They ask, “What’s going on with you?”

And I said, “I’m just going to be honest with you guys. Nine months ago, I started following Jesus.” And it felt exactly like what you’d expect. They were like, “What? Like… oh, because your dad’s a pastor?”

I’m like, “No, I had this encounter with God. And you know what? I haven’t drank in ten months.”

They’re like, “How?”

I said, “Well, it’s not my own strength. I’m just kind of everyday surrendering my will and my way to God.”

And they’re like, “Oh, that’s good for you. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

That was the first time I got squeezed, and it felt like what came out of me was less of me and more of Him.

But you get squeezed every day. I get squeezed every day. What comes out of us? If we can agree that it’s character that matters, does what comes out of us in our own flesh always honor God? As we talk about the Kingdom of God, this is a reminder of how we describe the Kingdom of God. Because every kingdom has a king, and the characteristics of the Kingdom of God are these: Is the authority recognized? Is God’s will being done? Are we surrendering our will to God’s will? And the third is God’s character. God’s character is the expected pattern for our lives.

We’re going to be in a passage today in Galatians. So if you have your Bibles, go ahead and take them out. If you use your phone for the Bible, go ahead and use that. You’re going to want to take some notes and follow along. And if not, it’s totally okay; we’re going to have it on the screens for you. It’s chapter five.

Paul here is writing to a group of people who’ve said yes to Jesus, and yet they’ve been confused about what it means to really follow Jesus, because there are things that are conflicting right now within their church community. Some are going all the way in and following all the rules, and it’s very legalistic: “Here’s how you follow Jesus.” They’re dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s, going all in. Then some are saying, “No, in Jesus I have freedom. I get to do whatever I want,” casting off all restraint.

So some are putting on restraint with the law, and others are casting off restraint because there’s newfound freedom in Jesus. And yet Paul is saying both miss the point. Both ways of living miss the full life of following Christ. Grace doesn’t simply free us from something. Grace frees us for something, towards something.

With that context, go to Galatians chapter five. I want you to notice there are four different movements within this one passage. Starting in verse 13:

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh. Rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: Love your neighbor as yourself. If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Now the acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft…”

Pause. This idolatry and witchcraft—can I tell you something that is resurging in our culture right now? People seeing mediums, people going to get their tarot cards read, people asking for spells to be cast. There’s an uptick in Gen Z where people are seeking out witches to help them find jobs because they’re having a hard time. You might think this is ridiculous, but it’s happening because people are desperate. But that’s us seeking out the flesh. Let’s keep reading.

“…hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance [also known as patience], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking, and envying each other.”

Let me walk you through what’s happening. You have God the Father, who created all things as He saw fit. In our sin and unfaithfulness as humanity, there was a need for reconciliation. From the beginning, God knew that Jesus would be the ultimate, final, perfect sacrifice—the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus comes, lives his sinless life, is crucified, takes on our sin and shame, and conquers hell over Easter weekend. He comes back up in power and might. He’s with the disciples for 40 days, and then He ascends to heaven.

But before He goes, He says, “Brothers and sisters, I must go so that I can send another: the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit will guide you in all truth and all righteousness. So you see this progression: God, the need for Jesus, Jesus goes, the Holy Spirit enters. The Holy Spirit is a gift to us to truly understand what it’s like to have the character of God. It shapes and forms us.

These four movements are about our freedom, our walk, our flesh, and our call.

Our Freedom

First, our freedom in Christ. When you say yes to Jesus and your soul is free from condemnation, how do we steward that freedom? Let’s start right now with our freedom. Go back to verse 13: “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh. Rather, serve one another humbly in love.” Paul is saying your freedom in Christ is not something you have to go and discover; it’s something we’re called to live in. You don’t have to earn freedom. When you say yes to submitting your will and way, you receive a newfound freedom.

What do you do with that freedom? Paul immediately gives it a direction: serve one another humbly in love. Serve with your time, your finances, your resources. We are free, and in our freedom, it is not for ourselves. It is to give of ourselves as we represent God in the earth. The world says, “I get to do whatever I want, whenever I want. That is freedom.” But true freedom is not simply the absence of restraint. It is the ability to become the person God created you to be.

How do you use this freedom? If a fish has an environment it thrives in (water), and a tree thrives in good soil, what do you and I need to thrive and flourish as sons and daughters of God? Scripture tells us two things: we thrive when we are planted in the soil of God, and we thrive when we are planted in healthy, godly relationships. If it’s not a godly, Christ-centered relationship, it is us giving of ourselves in friendship to our neighbors. That’s what we’re made to do.

Look what Paul says in verse 14: “For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: Love your neighbor as yourself.” It’s not about how little we need each other; it’s about how freely we can love the people in front of us.

I grew up in a very Latino culture, and everybody kisses each other, and there are hugs all the time. I love it now, but when I was a kid, I was like, “First of all, I don’t like hugs.” When you went to church as a kid, you’re kissing 400 people. I kept people at a distance. Yet when I came to know Christ, I realized that in my freedom I can be separate, or in my freedom I can love people. Over time, I’ve learned to love people. It’s His Spirit that says love people well, care for people. The question is: how can I best love people around me?

Then Paul gives a sober warning in verse 15: “If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.” He only gives us two extremes: either love, serve, and think of others first, or you’re going to bite and devour each other. In our flesh, we might think we’re middle ground, but when you get squeezed, you pick a side.

Paul is describing a community in Galatia that has become committed more to winning arguments than loving people. Criticism is embraced more than compassion. Competition is more important than service, and people are seen as obstacles, not neighbors to be loved. You would think he wrote this letter yesterday for our world today. Churches, marriages, friendships, and workplaces are not immune. Do you and I recognize that we can be right in an argument and wrong in our spirit? We can defend the truth while failing to demonstrate the love of God.

In the Kingdom, my soul has to recognize the authority of God. I have to align my will to the will of God, and my character has to overflow from His character. How can I use my freedom to love like Jesus? Around here we say, “Love everyone, life by life.” It’s more than a phrase on a sweatshirt; it’s a way of life that is tattooed on our hearts.

Our Walk

Moving to our walk. Verse 16: “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” He’s talking about walking it out. If I wake up in the morning and I know I’m supposed to go in one direction, but I step in the opposite direction, I have just taken steps away from the thing I know is right. Our walk matters. It happens one step at a time. What gets in our way is our flesh. Our flesh is our human limitations and our human nature turned inward, seeking to live independently of God.

The Spirit says forgive, and the flesh says get even. The flesh says make yourself look important; the Spirit says serve. The flesh says hold on to control; the Spirit teaches us to trust God. We all feel that tension when surrendering to God.

This last week, I got my Costco rewards check for $66. My plan was to get more toilet paper and paper towels. But then it came to mind that we were going to fill the food pantry for Pond Springs Elementary. I already had a plan to do that from our budget money. On the way to Costco, I felt the Holy Spirit say, “No, spend that check on the food pantry.”

I thought, “That doesn’t make any sense. I’m already going to do the food pantry from my budget spreadsheet.” But God was specific: “No, use that check.” It wasn’t about where the money came from; it was about obedience. We follow the character of God step by step in the little decisions of our life every single day. If I’m not willing to obey over $66, what else am I unwilling to obey?

Paul writes a tongue-twister in Romans: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do… For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” He’s saying we have sinful, fleshly desires that keep us from walking the full character of God. How do we deal with this tension? Stop pretending that willpower alone can transform us. We cannot transform our own lives. You cannot produce the character of God by trying harder. We produce the character of God by surrendering and getting the help of the Holy Spirit to work in us.

Our Flesh

Then we look at our flesh. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, idolatry, hatred, discord, jealousy. These things break down community. Envy makes someone else’s blessing feel like your loss. Selfish ambition makes people instruments for your success. Rage makes our emotions someone else’s burden. Paul is saying take these things seriously. Flesh rarely announces where it intends to take us, but whatever we repeatedly surrender to begins to shape us.

Our Call

What are we called to do? “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” These reflect the King. Notice the contrast: the acts of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit do not go together.

Love changes how we treat people. Joy anchors us when circumstances disappoint us. Peace steadies us when anxiety rises. Patience helps endure people or situations that test us. Kindness moves us towards others with compassion. Goodness directs us towards what honors God. Faithfulness makes us trustworthy. Gentleness gives us strength without harshness. Self-control enables us to resist desires that would rule us.

I don’t know anybody who perfectly does all of those things, but I’m not called to follow any human; I’m called to follow Jesus, who embodies them all. The fruit of the Spirit is the character of Jesus taking shape in us. As verse 24 says, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

Ask yourself which fruits of the Spirit don’t land naturally with you. Is it self-control? Gentleness? Patience? When you answer that question, you have just prescribed for yourself the blind spot you need to address to become more like Jesus. What a gift that this pushes us to know God more. And when we fail, we own it. Be the first in your family to apologize, the first to change the patterns, the first to stand in the gap.

Let’s pray.

God, I pray for my brothers and sisters in the room. There is some of this character that lines up with our lives, and some of it we utterly fail at living out. I pray that as we continue to lean in to what it means to follow You, we would recognize our desire to let go of our will and our way to become like Christ. Our desire is to become more and more like You. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.