If Men Were Christlike

President James Madison wrote, “If men were angels, no government would be necessary.” He almost got it right.

Angels aren’t perfect either. Lucifer and his minions proved that. Madison should have said, “If men were Christlike, no government would be necessary.”

Think about that. If we were all sinless like Christ, there would be no need to be governed by others. There would be no crime to deal with, no bad guys to go after, and no wars to fight. But because mankind is not Christlike, government’s are put in place to enact laws to tell us what we can and cannot do. It’s a means of control.

Jesus didn’t need the government to tell him what to do. He was filled with the Holy Spirit, enabling Him to love perfectly, for “Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.” Romans‬ ‭13‬:‭10‬ ‭

If I love you, I won’t steal from you, or murder you, or lie to you, or lose my temper with you.

I long to be like Jesus, governed by the Holy Spirit. Here is why:

“The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” Romans 8:6

What a great promise! So many today are missing out on peace because their minds are governed by the flesh. Staggering is the number of people receiving mental health treatment in America, and it’s rising every year.

I know the anxiety that happens when my mind is governed by the flesh. The flesh is that part of me that tells me my thoughts are wiser than God’s. My flesh decides what is good and evil, and how I should act. The flesh makes a lousy governor!

I need a good governor to tell me what to do and what not to do. Thank God, I’ve got the perfect one in the Holy Spirit. This governor always knows what’s best for me. He not only reminds me of what Jesus taught, He empowers me to obey Him, resulting in abundant life and perfect peace.

Earthly governors and governments will often disappoint us. If society was governed by the Holy Spirit, we would not be disappointed. Love would reign and life for everyone would be gloriously beautiful.

Now that’s a governor I can endorse!

Holy Spirit, govern my thoughts today. Tell me what to do. I give You total control. Empower me to love like Jesus!