Within the Christian life there we find the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Together they comprise the one true God. We often mention, talk about the Father and the Son. We don't do so much with the Holy Spirit. Just why is that? Are we like children wishing to avoid doing chores and go into hiding? Are we full of justification and rationalization so much that we don't have room for the Holy Spirit's voice to be heard? In the 13th chapter of Acts we find the apostles together praying and worshipping. The Scripture tells us that the Holy Spirit talked with them and told them to set Paul and Barnabas apart and send them out to bring the Word to others. That in and of itself should tell us that if we are in communion with God that he will speak with us also. The clincher comes when we come to the part where the Holy Spirit told them to set apart and send out two of their group. Where we've become a world where we have all kinds of elders, pastors, church leaders, and steps to get to where we can go out and minister it's no wonder that we don't listen to the Holy Spirit. Nothing hinders the Spirit like people who have decided to do other than listen to the Spirit.
About a week ago I was in a restaurant with some friends when the Holy Spirit drew my attention to a couple in a booth across the room from me. They were praying over their meal. It was something I had done just moments before with my friends. I though that was really good of them to do. As I sat there eating the Spirit kept telling me to go over and encourage them. Finally I relented and did so. I told them I was impressed at their public display of their faith while praying for their meal. They thanked me and told me that they wouldn't have it any other way. When I returned to the table no one asked me what I was doing. Why? Because it's what God has me do regularly in my walk with him. If I hadn't been in a place of worship in my heart and if I hadn't been listening to the Holy Spirit, whatever God needed to be done in that moment wouldn't have happened with me. I may have, instead, been replaced with another servant of God. It's that way in all of our lives. Being led by the Spirit means we are NOT living our lives. Paul and Barnabas continued on after being prayed over and went on to change their world for Jesus. No questions, no arguments, no excuses.
Pretending to be wise and making our way on our own is not wisdom living. We can have the best of intentions and still miss the mark. When we listen to the Holy Spirit we cannot be full of ourselves. Being full of ourselves we become unable to let God have his way. We need to be emptied of self so that we aren't distracted by the cares of this world. So, if you decide you want to be led by God, give him room to sit behind the wheel instead of riding in the trunk. Get out of the way! If you choose to not give him that leadership role in your life, remain in the way obstructing what God wants to do through the soul he died for. When we become a Christian we must weigh out the cost according to what God wants versus what we want. The cost of giving up our lives for God to live through will render a harvest that we cannot even imagine. The cost of staying in control will succeed in doing little or nothing for God. I'm not saying everyone needs to become a missionary. Nor am I saying you are to remain in a place of comfort knowing you don't upset the apple cart of life. I'm simply saying you have two choices. Live for God by dying to self or to live for self and do nothing for God. Don't be so wrapped up in your life that you are unable to show Jesus to the world around you. Remember that it's always your choice.
No comments:
Post a Comment