Testing the Path We Follow

2/1/2026

Galatians 5:22-23 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Two weeks ago, I began a 3-part series on how to discern the voice of Sprit from the voice of our Ego. We began with John 10:27 and tuning our ears to the Shepherd’s voice over Ego’s clamor. Last week, Hebrews 4:12 handed us the living filter – God’s Word as the two-edged sword, excising the soul-noise and healing us with Divine truth. Today, we complete the repair kit: Galatians 5’s fruit of Spirit test. Our Word-filtered path proves itself by what fruit it bears – life-shrinking division or spiritual abundance?

Paul contrasts two family trees: the “works of the flesh” and the ‘fruit of the Spirit.” Spirit yields an integrated cornucopia of love through self-control. The flesh produces a list of weeds that can infest our spirit-garden, sucking the life out of our efforts.

You might agree that humanity encompasses a wide range of people, varied desires, and a broad spectrum of spiritual development. We are not here to fix anyone, change anyone, or control anyone. The best we can do is attend to our own path, love all, and in God’s grace serve as an example for others and help them non-judgmentally and lovingly along the way.

With that said, the things I have speak about are intended to help people who are interested in walking in the Light of God, the path Christ exemplifies, and not the world or Ego. Jesus says it perfectly, “Those who have ears, let them hear.” Not everyone is spiritually mature enough to hear what God has to say and absorb it into their souls. Some people are immersed in the flesh and Ego and self … we love them anyway.

Galatians5:19-21 gives us a non-exhaustive list of qualities and behaviors to avoid: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, and carousing.  Different interpretations give us different words, such as murder, sexual immorality, moral corruption, doing whatever feels good, drug use, casting spells, hate, fighting, obsession, losing your temper, competitive opposition, conflict, selfishness, group rivalry, and partying. What the heck was going on back then? Regardless of the specific words chosen by the translators, we get the idea.

As we look at Paul’s list, some behaviors are out and out criminal, while others are overtly sexual, unproductive, and self-indulgent. Then, Paul explicitly adds “and things like these,” which opens the door to much more ordinary, socially acceptable forms of the same underlying self‑centeredness. Many of these “subtler” expressions hide in our daily life, families, and interior dialogue. Here are some common, dark, yet overlooked qualities that fit under the heading “and things like these.”

Resentment that lives as a low-grade inner grievance against certain people or groups. Quiet jealousy and comparison: “Why did they get chosen, noticed, thanked, and not me,” which is a milder form of “jealousies, rivalries, envy.” Passive-aggressive anger: icy tone, “forgetting” commitments, subtle digs, and sarcasm instead of open conflict. Chronic negativity and fault-finding, and a critical spirit that instinctively spots what is wrong and rarely what is good.

Also on this list would be self-pity and victimhood, which we use to justify coldness or withdrawal. Secret contempt displayed by politely smiling while inwardly regarding certain people as beneath us – intellectually, morally, socially, theologically. The craving to be noticed, praised, or seen as “deep” or “spiritual,” which foments division and draws attention to self rather than Christ.

Quietly manipulating others using guilt, gas lighting, or flattery to get them to do what we want. Using chronic avoidance of responsibility, procrastination, neglect of duties, emotional absenteeism in relationships to injure others. Indulge in comfort-seeking: food, entertainment, shopping, scrolling, anything that slowly trains us to say “yes” to our appetites and “no” to self-denial, even if it never reaches drunkenness or obvious addiction.

Included on this list is indifference to others’ suffering, lacking in empathy that allows us to stay comfortable while remaining emotionally distant from others’ pain. Displaying hidden competitiveness in serving others by measuring “numbers,” responses, or results and quietly feeling superior or inferior instead of simply rejoicing in the Spirit’s work. Do we carry on inner narratives that justify division: “People like that are the problem; I’m one of the few who really gets it.” This is the seedbed of “strife, dissensions, divisions,” not peace or love.

The “headline sins” of Galatians 5 are like the visible branches of a tree, but these quieter attitudes are the roots – self-centeredness, pride, fear, and unbelief – growing beneath the surface and feeding the visible yield. In this series on discerning inner voices, we want to recognize the voice that protects Ego, resists humility, and subtly de-centers Christ in favor of self and disarm it.

All these works of the flesh can be addressed and overcome. But not by ourselves. In Matthew 6:33, Christ tells us to seek the kingdom of God first. Proverbs 11:14 then says, “Without good direction, people lose their way; the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances.” We are to seek God first, then others, as God directs.

The thought, “I can handle it on my own,” is the Ego’s cry for self-reliance. When held up against Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding,” we see the truth. But do not stop there; test it against the fruits of Spirit. Let us ask ourselves, “What will this thought bear in my life, my relationships, my decisions? ‘I can handle it on my own.’ Where does that lead?”  Ego’s urgent “do it yourself” grows anxiety and isolation. Spirit’s gentle nudge cultivates not only healed relationships through connection, but the fruits of peace, and patience.

1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 reads: “Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.” Paul does not say ignore inner voices – he says test them ... like the miner panning for gold, separating what is valuable from the dirt. When a voice whispers to us, ask, “Over time, what kind of fruit does following this voice produce in me and through me?” If following that inner prompting consistently leads to the Spirit’s fruit, love, peace, joy, forgiveness, it likely reflects the Spirit’s voice; if it leads to fear, control, secrecy, or harm, it is not from God, but Ego, no matter how “religious” it sounds. Embrace the Spirit-led clarity of peace and gentleness, while rejecting fleshly noise of fear and control.

Our challenge is to become aware of our inner thoughts, filter them with the Word of God and test the thought and beliefs by asking ourselves: Is this thought moving me nearer or further from love? Am I moving toward compassion, forgiveness, and wanting to bless someone or in the direction of self-protection, resentment, and superiority? Is it the voice of the Ego or the Shepherd?

It is my prayer that we use this trio, the voice, the filter, and the fruit, to equip us to walk as sheep who follow and can safely graze. No more will we mistake strangers for the Shepherd. When we filter cleanly and bear good fruit we answer Christ’s knock at the door in Revelation 3:20. Jesus enters for fellowship and abundance flows. Be still, listen, filter the thoughts through the Word of God, test them against the fruits of Spirit, and follow the path of peace and love, and the voice of our Shepherd calling us home.

Week 3: Discerning Inner Voices

Chart: Test Every Voice Against the Fruit of the Spirit

(Galatians 5:22-23 | "Against such things there is no law.")

Test Question	Spirit-Led Voice (Fruit-Aligned)	Fleshly Voice (Fruit-Opposed)
Toward love or away?	Compassion, forgiveness, desire to bless.	Self-protection, resentment, superiority.
Deep confidence in God?	Calm trust, anchored hope.	Fear, anxiety, grasping for control.
Patience or pressure?	Waits on God's timing, listens first.	Rushed demands, panic, impulsivity.
Softens toward others?	Gentle, understanding, no need to "win."	Harsh tone, contempt, passive-aggression.
Mastery over impulses?	Boundaries, restraint, sobriety.	Indulgence, rationalized excess.
More Christlike?	Reconciliation, humility, servanthood.	Division, ego-boost, isolation.
Content vs. tone match?	Peaceful words with peaceful delivery.	"Right" words laced with pride or coldness.
Ego, fear, control?	"Trust God; serve others."	"Protect yourself; you know best."