Daily Devotional – Monday, April 9, 2026
Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?
Galatians 3:3 (NKJV)
A man started fixing up an old wooden boat with a lot of energy. He patched the holes, cleaned it, and sanded it. Halfway through, though, he put the unfinished vessel back in the water. It started leaking again in just a few minutes. The problem was finishing the work, not starting it.
The Slow Return to Self-Reliance
Paul was frustrated with the believers in Galatia. He wondered why they had become foolish by trying to finish with the flesh after starting with the Spirit. They had once relied on Christ for salvation, but now they were trying to finish what God had begun.
The Spirit’s work is what starts the Christian life and keeps it going. We don’t grow by relying on ourselves but by relying on God every day. Discipline and obedience are important, but they are not the same as grace, which is the unmerited favour of God that empowers us to live according to His will. When believers depend primarily on willpower, pride or fatigue ultimately ensues, leading to feelings of inadequacy and discouragement in their spiritual journey.
How Did the Burden Get So Heavy?
Many people quietly move into faith based on performance. They judge how close they are to God by how well they prayed, served, or avoided failing that week. Paul thinks differently. The grace that saved us is the same grace that makes us who we are. Trust, surrender, and the Spirit’s transforming presence help you grow spiritually more than just working hard on your own.
Trust the Spirit to save you, shape your character, guide your choices, and make you more obedient. Walk by the Spirit every day and let God finish what He started in your life.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, please help me rely on Your Spirit every day and trust You to finish the work You started in my life.
