How absurd is it to jimmy a lock when you have the key in your hand? Here’s another absurdity, Christians who struggle with worries and fears when they have the Holy Spirit residing in them. There’s no rationale for Christians to be burnt-out when they have the third person of the Holy Trinity dwelling inside of them. Jesus told His disciples that it was good that He go away because the Father will send them the Holy Spirit.
. . . But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you (John 14:26, AMP).
Sometimes we might act like we have it “altogether” not wanting or needing God’s help. Many times, that’s not the case at all, it’s more about us not fully understanding the revelation of the awesome power within us. In 1 Peter 5:7, we are told to cast our cares. In John 14:27, Jesus said that He left His peace with us, and we shouldn’t be troubled neither afraid. Our job, however, is to purposefully fight the good fight of faith and receive the peace we have been given through Christ. (Also, see: Matthews 11:28-30; Psalms 23:4; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.)
An unopened bottle of faith
Consequently, as soon as your spirit becomes agitated, it’s an indication to put your faith into action. Don’t wait until you have exhausted all your friends and self-help techniques before you call on the Holy Spirit’s help. Because when you do that, you have subconsciously relegated your relationship with Him to an after-thought—your plan Z. To prevent this from happening, get into the habit of calling on the Spirit throughout the day. Include Him in what you might consider “mundane” tasks. Go ahead ask Him; you know you wanna’ know: “Which watermelon is the sweetest?”
The more we practice involving the Holy Spirit in our everyday routines, the more faith we’ll have to avoid burnouts when trouble strikes. If we think grabbing an unopened bottle of faith off the shelf is going to move mountains—well, think again.
God’s Word is not plan Z; nor is His Spirit to be ignored. Joseph M. Scriven, author of the beloved hymn “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” summed it up when he wrote:
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy laden,
cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
© 2019
See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.
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