The Death That Leads to Life
by: Keller Hufham
July 14, 2026
“ ....A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Motherhood has exposed me. It has grown me in ways I never imagined. In the growing pains, I have seen my flesh sneak up on me and lead me into spirals of sinful thought patterns more than ever. Choosing Christ daily has felt so hard. I am tired, emptied, and a new season brings new expectations of myself and others. As much as I want to justify my sin when exhaustion gets the best of me, I have felt the Holy Spirit gently reminding my weary heart to choose life. To choose His way. To choose Him. I keep coming back to this passage, “....A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:7-9, NIV).
Throughout Scripture, we are presented with two ways of living: eternal life or death, blessing or curse, flesh or Spirit, God’s way or our own. Not always in dramatic or obvious forms. Most often, the choice arrives disguised as ordinary moments. For me, this choice often shows up in my marriage. Sometimes I can feel resentment begin to build before my husband has even done anything wrong. A comment gets interpreted through the wrong lens. An expectation goes unmet. A misunderstanding takes root. Before I know it, I have created an entire story in my mind about his motives, his intentions, and what he should have done differently. In these lies, I’m not living out a love that “keeps no record of wrongs” and ultimately my flesh wins (1 Corinthians 13:5).
The scary thing is that my flesh doesn’t always feel dangerous. It’s familiar, justified even. When my husband wrongs me, what Scripture calls “death” I call “reasonable.” My flesh feels like me. It is me–the old me–which is precisely why killing it is so hard. And that is why I need the Holy Spirit. Paul addresses this battle when he writes: “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:24-25).
So if choosing eternal life requires death to self, aren’t I dying anyway? One death leads to resurrection and life in Christ. The other leads me further into myself, where self-rule ultimately ends in death. Choosing life is not about avoiding death altogether. It is about choosing the right kind of death. The death of the old self so that something new can live. The death of my flesh so that the Spirit can bear fruit. The death of my way so that I can discover His. Isn’t this the pattern Jesus Himself showed us? Through surrender came resurrection. Through death came life.
Prayer
Father, thank You for giving me another way of life. Help me not throw away the opportunity to walk with Your Spirit in the ordinary moments. Will You reveal to me where I am settling for spiritual death in my life today. Help me be quick to expose the parts of my heart that are rebellious toward You.
Thank You that I have Your Holy Spirit to learn from. Thank You for the life and peace that come from following Your way and not my own. Amen.
Worship: Have My Heart - Bridge Worship
Further Study
Galatians 5:13-26, Romans 6, 7, & 8
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Motherhood has exposed me. It has grown me in ways I never imagined. In the growing pains, I have seen my flesh sneak up on me and lead me into spirals of sinful thought patterns more than ever. Choosing Christ daily has felt so hard.