Key scripture – “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.” (Romans 8:9-11)

If we focus merely on outward conformity to a set of rules we miss the point of the gospel: that God became human to share his essential life with us—to make us not just his servants, but his dwelling place.

Incredibly, Scripture assures us that the Spirit of the Living God indwells all those who believe in his Son, Jesus.

But why, you may wonder, do you sometimes find so little evidence of God’s presence when you search your heart to find him?

Spiritual ambivalence is what prevents us from experiencing the full freedom and power of the Living God. It’s a condition in which one foot is planted in God’s kingdom while the other is still planted in the world. It’s a setup for failure, like trying to board a boat while keeping one foot on the dock. You want the gospel to fit your life rather than fitting your life to the gospel.

God’s kingdom should be lived from the perspective of heaven, not earth. That’s why Jesus said, “Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33).

If you have been mixing a little of God with a lot of the world, you are asking God to bless something that His Kingdom is not a part of, and He won’t do it, therefore, you experience less of God because His Kingdom is not of this world.

When you lose sight of God’s Kingdom, then God’s perspective gets lost and you start focusing on the tangible and temporal things in life. When that happens, your judgment begins to be skewed and your decisions become shortsighted. Rather than living out your destiny and purpose, you may end up with wasted time, effort, energy, and emotions.

Yet when God’s kingdom is prioritized, you get to see heaven both rule and overrule in your life. You will witness God trump circumstances and people that you thought had the last word, but instead, they just have a Word because God has the last word. You get to experience Him at a whole other level when you experience Him as King.

Today, if you find that you suffer from even the slightest bit of spiritual ambivalence, join me in forsaking it. Face yourself squarely and without excuses. Tell the Lord you can no longer live without his ongoing daily guidance. Assure him that you no longer want to control and run your life but that you want to be controlled by his living, powerful Holy Spirit. Tell Him you want His Will, not your will, to be done in your life. Then underline your prayer by fasting. Give up a meal or fast for twenty-four hours as a way of humbling yourself in the presence of the Living God.

Start today prioritizing God’s Word and His kingdom. You can do that by getting up thirty minutes earlier each day, to meet with Him, read His Word and pray. If you do that, then you will see that your earthly circumstances will not be able to overwhelm your vision and block your view of God. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Pray this – Our Precious Heavenly Father, I praise You and thank You for Your Word, which is living and active, sharper than a two-edged sword. I want to experience You as King in my life. Reveal to me where I am looking to the world’s way rather than Your way in my thoughts, decisions, and actions. Help me to align all of these underneath Your Word so that I can benefit from the covering of Your Covenant and Kingdom. Father, I thank You that the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead lives in me. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead flows through me. Nothing can destroy me. Nothing can move me because I stand firm in His strength. Forgive me for when I have not yielded to Your Spirit. I want to taste and experience the joys of a life that obeys Your Word and that is Spirit-controlled. Teach me how to trust in You with all my heart, to always turn to You first when something happens, to put all my weight on Your promises and to never ever lean on my own understanding. Pour Your Spirit on me. I want to live under the power of Your Spirit. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.