Jesus spoke of one aid in our walk toward living Heaven on Earth that thrusts us further than all the rest. One thing Jesus left his followers, even before the gift of the written records of his life and words, his Holy Spirit.
“In Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28)." We live in Him - in Jesus, who is in the Father. But the only way this is possible is by, through, and in his Holy Spirit.
“It is good I’m am going, for when I do, I will send you the Counselor, the Spirit of Truth, and He will guide you into all truth...You can trust Him for He only speaks what He hears me saying (John 16:7, 13).”
I grew up in what I call the more "cerebral" side of the Church, as I wrote about here. There were countless advantages from this upbringing that I wouldn't trade for the world, but one of the major drawbacks was a distrust of people who claimed to have serious dealings with the Holy Spirit. It came in like one of those weeds that looks like a flower but only serves to suck the life from the roses it surrounds. No one outright said that the Holy Spirit was to be distrusted, but I was warned against 'those crazy pentecostals' by stories of painful encounters from one person after another. Stories of being told "you're not 'saved' if you don't speak in ‘tongues.’” I don’t know about you, but being told you’re “not saved” is never a pleasant thing to hear from anyone, especially as an ardently practicing Christian.
I was told in church that these Pentecostals were driven by emotions. I was asked in college, “How can you know if a feeling is the Holy Spirit or merely indigestion?” However it was put, the underlying message was always the same, “You can’t trust feelings, who knows where they come from, whether they’re yours or God’s or your breakfasts’. But the mind, you can trust your mind. You can measure and assess and make informed decisions with your mind.”
So the mind was crowned king and few questioned his reign. And why should they? He is the most sensible ruler, the reasonable choice. But the problem is, he doesn’t, and can’t on his own, illustrate the full picture of any situation. Especially life with God and His Spirit. I can only figure out so much with my own mind. There's so much territory in my soul and the world it leaves uncharted. I need more than mere reason can supply. Yes, the vats of information accessible at the click of a button are vast and quickly expanding, but how much they have to say about the everyday personal decisions that matter in our lives is painfully limited. If God really can speak to us directly, and guide us throughout the day, well, that’s an invaluable resource. If we can converse with our Maker and Heavenly Father, and He could speak directly to us, well, He might have a few things to say worth listening to. Nay, the whole reason Jesus came to die for us was to connect us to the Father through the Holy Spirit. He's worth all our attention.
"But when that one, the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you down the path to all truth. For He does not speak from Himself, but He will only speak what He hears; and He will disclose to you what is to come. (John 16:13)"
God’s Spirit is with you, waiting to have your attention. He is trying to speak to us. He wants what every relationship wants; to know you and be known by you. Let’s journey together to learn His voice from all the rest, He has wonderful, aiding, and tender words for each of us. Ask what He wants you to hear today. Trust He is always speaking. He wants to speak with you.
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