Less is More

“Now there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. But David grew stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.”

2 Samuel 3:1

Have you seen these ads on your social media feed for a pill that you can take to lose weight even while you sleep? With advancements in science it seems they are learning that less not more does actually work for some people. Are you aware that resting in and relying upon God’s grace in your life actually makes you stronger? “Don’t grow weary in doing good for in due time you will reap if you do not faint and lose heart,” the Bible instructs us in Galatians 6. The flesh grows weak and the Spirit gains strength as we walk with Jesus. Galatians 5:17 reminds us, “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”

King Saul’s life in 2 Samuel 3 reflects the life of the man or woman who is trying to reach God by their own efforts where as God’s king, David’s life reflects the life of a man or woman who is learning to follow the Lord daily and be led by His Holy Spirit. There will always be a battle between our flesh and His Spirit going on in us, between good and evil until the time Jesus returns for us in glory, but the battle can be won. We need to bear in mind that though our outward man is dying daily the inward man is being renewed day by day! That’s just more good news for you and me today from the Good News of the Gospel. The Spirit always wins when we trust in Jesus.

What a contrast between the life in the Spirit and life in the flesh. David’s life is portrait of what it looks like to be growing in grace and that is the key to a healthy spiritual life. Grow in grace and you will increase in your spiritual strength as the fruit of God’s Spirit is a by-product of abiding in Christ. The work of our flesh in Galatians 5 is a life of sin and death and the more effort we expel seeking to please God in our own strength in reality drains the life right out of us just like Abner found out here in chapter 3 of 2 Samuel.

Consider your current situation in life. Do you sense God’s power and His strength? If you do you to have discovered that less is more. The power of God is available to us but it is available only by His grace. Everything we get from God comes by means of His grace. God seeks to empower us to live godly lives that are pleasing to Him and to be a witness for Him to the world around us everywhere we go so that like David we might be able to say, ‘whatever the king does is pleasing” because we are just seeking to do those things that please the Lord. When we live for Jesus we can honestly say what we do is pleasing to God because our prayer becomes each day, “not my will but Yours be done oh God.” Less of me, more of Jesus leads to a fulfilling day!

Trusting in what Jesus has done for us and walking in His plans for us is how we grow in stronger in our faith, that’s how we grow stronger in grace. Commit each and every day to grow in God’s Word. Spend time in personal bible study, as well in personal prayer and devotion to God and you will know God’s grace and His strength as you take God at His Word and trust in Him. Less really is more and over time, as you decrease and He increases by the godly habits you develop you will find what once was a struggle is now just a way of life. That’s the goal of growing in grace. Eventually, we can’t get enough of God and the best part of waking up each day is being able to open up our Bible and say like David, ‘whatever the king does is pleasing…and what will the king have me to do today as we walk, not run with Jesus. Rest in Jesus and discover for yourself today, less is more!

 
“And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one”

John 17:22

I LOVE YOU!