In Step with the Spirit

An Invitation to the Weary – I recall an afternoon early in my ministry when the invitation of Jesus to the weary became the invitation of Jesus to Max. I was supposed to be studying. But I could not concentrate. I thought I had to fix everyone’s problems, shoulder everyone’s burdens, and never grow weary in doing so. After some moments I bowed my head and sighed, and this scripture came to mind: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

It was the pronoun me that got me. I had been turning to everyone and everything but him. Why did that verse come to mind? Simple – the Holy Spirit, my teacher, reminded me. The Spirit of Christ will do this for you, my friend.

An Invitation to the Weary

An Invitation to the Weary – I recall an afternoon early in my ministry when the invitation of Jesus to the weary became the invitation of Jesus to Max. I was supposed to be studying. But I could not concentrate. I thought I had to fix everyone’s problems, shoulder everyone’s burdens, and never grow weary in doing so. After some moments I bowed my head and sighed, and this scripture came to mind: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

It was the pronoun me that got me. I had been turning to everyone and everything but him. Why did that verse come to mind? Simple – the Holy Spirit, my teacher, reminded me. The Spirit of Christ will do this for you, my friend.

A Beautiful Promise

A Beautiful Promise – The Holy Spirit has a specific, overarching mission. His task is to teach us about Jesus. The apostle Paul echoed this point: “No one’s ever seen or heard anything like this, never so much as imagined anything quite like it—what God has arranged for those who love him. But you’ve seen and heard it because God by his Spirit has brought it all out into the open before you” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).

The world religions look to the teachings of their now-dead founders—Muhammad, Buddha, Confucius. Christians, however, hold to this inscrutable and beautiful promise: our teacher not only spoke, but he speaks. His wisdom is not confined to an ancient document but is part of the day-to-day curriculum of our mentor, the Holy Spirit.

We Are Not Alone

We Are Not Alone – Jesus doesn’t want us to think of the Holy Spirit as an it or a thing. The Spirit is a person. According to one study only four people in ten believe that the Spirit is a divine person. The rest of those surveyed either don’t have an opinion or choose to believe the Spirit is more like a power surge than a divine being who empowers and teaches us.

Can you join me in a pledge? “I hereby resolve never to call the Holy Spirit an it.” The Spirit is a person. And Jesus calls him the Paraclete. Now translators land on different, yet similar, translations for this Greek word: “Comforter,” “Counselor,” “Advocate,” “Intercessor.” But the central message is the same: we are not alone.

Dont Neglect the Holy Spirit

Don’t Neglect the Holy Spirit – Some time ago I realized my car’s gas tank was nearly empty. I spotted a convenience store and parked next to a pump. I placed the nozzle in my tank, and swiped my card, and began filling up my car. I then went into the store and bought a soda. I chatted with the store clerk. I went back to my car and washed the windshield. I was barely back on the road when I happened to look at my gas gauge. It was on empty! Knowing my attention span, I probably forgot to squeeze the lever.

I did everything except the one thing I needed to do. Have you done the same? Have you neglected the Holy Spirit? The Spirit of God longs to give you his great power. Challenges come with life, but they need not define your life. Help is here.

The Holy Spirit Comes with Power

The Holy Spirit Comes with Power – Jesus would not let his followers begin their ministries unless they knew the Holy Spirit. By this point the disciples had spent three years in training. They had seen the empty tomb, they had touched his resurrected body, they had spent forty days listening to the resurrected Christ teach about the kingdom. But they needed more. Jesus told them, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8 NKJV).

The Holy Spirit comes with power. Power to make good choices, to keep promises, to silence the inner voices of fear and failure. Power to get busy about the right things in the right way. Power. This is what Jesus promised then, and this is what Jesus promises still.

The Holy Who

The Holy Who – In Luke 24:49 Jesus said, “And now I will send the Holy Spirit upon you, just as my Father promised.” Who is the Holy Spirit? God as Father? We comprehend that image. God as Jesus, the Son? That idea is manageable as well. But God as Spirit? The word itself is mystical.

One day, I read the words Jesus used to describe the Holy Spirit: comforter and friend. “I know that Person.” That was over three decades ago. I no longer think of the Holy Spirit as the Holy Who? I now call him our Heaven-Sent Helper. He is our champion, our advocate, our guide. He comforts and directs us. He indwells, transforms, sustains, and will someday deliver us into our heavenly home.

Choose to Praise

Choose to Praise – “Along about midnight, Paul and Silas were at prayer and singing a robust hymn to God…Then, without warning, a huge earthquake! The jailhouse tottered, every door flew open, all the prisoners were loose” (Acts 16:25-26).

Authorities beat Paul and Silas with rods. Soldiers then imprisoned them in the deepest part of the prison where it was damp and cold and rat-infested. Their feet were put in stocks. There they lay all afternoon and into the night, with no local advocates, their backs open to infection, surrounded by darkness, and shivering from the cold. Oh, to have heard that midnight song.

Paul and Silas were not sure of their deliverance, but they were sure of their Deliverer. You can be too. Rather than panic, you can choose to praise.

Cleansing Element of Praise

Cleansing Element of Praise – Our stress-laden society has developed many skills for dealing with anxiety. We have breathing exercises and meditation techniques. But the person in whom the Spirit dwells has the greatest of resources. The apostle Paul said, “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18-19).

The apostle contrasts two strategies for facing inner chaos: inebriation and celebration. Many people numb themselves, if not with liquor, with bouts of shopping or hours of playing. The better option: celebration. Constant worship clears the debris from our hearts. Praise is the cleansing element that flushes the trash of worry and anxiety.

Rise Up and Step Out

Rise Up and Step Out – Peter discovered the wonder of God’s second chance. One day Jesus preached from Peter’s boat. Then he told Peter to take him fishing. The apostle-to-be had no interest. He was tired; he had fished all night. He was discouraged; he had caught nothing. He was dubious; what did Jesus know about catching fish? But Jesus insisted. And Peter relented. “At Your word I will let down the net” (Luke 5:5).

This was a moment of truth for Peter. He was saying, “I will begin again, your way.” When he did, the catch of fish was so great the boat nearly sank. Sometimes we just need to begin again with Christ in the boat. Don’t miss your opportunity by inaction. It’s time to rise up and step out. God has not forgotten you. Keep your head up! You never know what good awaits you.