John 3:8 KJV The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:16-17 KJV This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

I was running the other day, and when I first headed out, I did not notice the wind. I did not notice the wind because it was at my back. It was only after I turned around that I felt the wind. It was pushing against me, and it made the return trip much harder for me. The wind drag created a resistance that caused my running to slow.

In the Bible, one of the words for wind is “ruach”, but it has another meaning; it also means the Spirit. In Hebrew, the Holy Spirit moved on the face of the waters and the face of the earth, and things changed. It was the Spirit of God that brought life.

Just like when I was running into the wind, life is harder when we run against the Spirit of God. Everything we do becomes harder. It takes more energy to do less. So, when you go against His Spirit, it is like fighting the wind. Running against the wind tires you and causes you to grow weary. Yet, when you turn and have the wind at your back, it is amazing how much easier running is. The same is true in the spiritual. When we run in the direction in which God’s Spirit is directing us, life is just better. We run with more energy because the wind helps us – it gives us power. His Spirit gives us power, overcoming power to accomplish His will in our lives.

I made it back to where I started my run, but it sure took a lot more effort and energy on the return trip. The same can be said of my life in the times I drifted away from God. What seemed like a good idea, ended up being a struggle. The moments I walked contrary to His Spirit, the road was weary and difficult to pass. But every time I turned around and walked in His will, allowing His Spirit to guide me, life was better. I could accomplish more with less effort, conquer with greater ease, and live an overcoming life because His Spirit was behind me.

Be mindful of God’s Spirit in your life. If you find things are becoming increasingly difficult, ask yourself: am I running against His Spirit? You may find that all you need is a change of direction to make things much easier in your life.