The spirit of God within us...

"I will put my spirit within you...you shall be my people, and I will be your God."
Ezekiel 36:27-28

We are aware that Jesus asks such difficult things from us.  We are to love our enemies, forgive those who hurt us, turn the other cheek...basically act contrary to our very human nature.  We wonder how in the world Jesus expects us to do all this and then we come across the answer in the Old Testament.  God gifts us with everything we need to do the hard stuff because God's very own spirit is within us.  It's not so much us doing the good, it is God's spirit working within us.  This isn't the cop out it may feel like initially, either.  Our part in it is huge--we must yield to the spirit of God within us.  You know the times you are called upon to help someone, or bury a hatchet with someone, or maybe you recognize  the need of another and you are able to just step up. Those are the times you reach out of yourselves and reach out to others, giving them what they need.  Those are the times you yield to the spirit of God residing in you, that gives you all you need to do the hard stuff.  Yes, hard stuff is expected of us, but, more importantly, we already have all we need to do it--the spirit of our God, living right there within us.  Love, heidi