Galatians 3:1-4 (NLT)
1 Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ�s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross. 2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. 3 How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? 4 Have you experienced so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it?

The Apostle Paul writes to the Galatians about their misunderstanding of the Christian life. Through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, faithful believers receive the Holy Spirit. Christ said the Holy Spirit would be a helper to those who believed in Him. Paul said the Holy Spirit prays for us when we don�t know how to pray for ourselves. So the Holy Spirit is our link to God and Christ, teaching us, helping us, and offering pray for us. The Galatians were moving away from this understanding. Instead they were trying through their own efforts to become perfect in their own manner.

Many people putting up their Christmas decorations put them on a timer so that at just the right time every night the lights come to life. But if someone lost confidence in the way their timer works they might just be out there every night trying to ensure the lights will turn on at the proper time. When we lose confidence in our Christian faith often we try too hard to ensure things are working just right. We start believing God can�t do in us what He has set out to accomplish so we start taking actions into our hands. Paul said in Ephesians, �Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.� God is able to handle anything that comes our way. Allow God to work so that the right time His desires for our life will be accomplished.