Acting on Instinct

Season 8 of American Idol is in full swing.  The finalists will be picked this week and next week we, the viewers, begin our part of the process of voting on the next American Idol.  One contestant is completely blind.  A clip of him playing the keyboard while he was singing was shown tonight.  I found it interesting that as he was playing, he instinctively "looked" down at his hands and the keys at various times throughout his performance.

I don't know his story.  I don't know if he was born blind or lost his sight later in life.  Whatever the case, something within him cause him to act in a manner that was consistent with the function and purpose of eyes.

There are aspects of our lives that seem to happen by instinct.  Mothers have it, 'cept they call it "intuition."  Some of us have personalities that drive us to make decisions by what our guts tell us.  When frightened or placed in otherwise stressful situations, the "fight or flight" instinct kicks in.

As people on a faith journey following Christ, we sometimes find ourselves in a battle of warring instincts.  There is the sinful nature that taints our soul that tries to lead us into actions that seek to only satisfy self and ignore the needs of others or the will of God.  Then there is the Holy Spirit that dwells within us, leading us to imitate the self-sacrificing attitude of Christ, changing us to take on his character.

Which instinct is strongest in you?  Which purpose and function are you fulfilling?