“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” 1 Corinthians 6:19
Have you ever heard a message and thought, “God is speaking directly to me!”? You get inspired and resolve to leave differently than you came. You know you need to take action and do something with the inspiration God gave you. The church service ends, you fellowship with others, maybe go to lunch with friends and then allow the days and weeks ahead to distract you. Before long you can’t remember the message anymore, let alone do anything with it…
I really appreciated the message Pastor Justin gave a while back on the Holy Spirit. Our God is one God. In three persons… God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives, and moves, and breathes inside of us! How wonderful and powerful is that?! Just imagine… we have the power of the Holy Spirit living in us! He is our helper, our personal guide in this world. He is our comforter, our friend, and He convicts us of sin so that we may not fall prey to the enemy.
As Justin spoke that Sunday, I felt a deep conviction that I must be intentional in allowing the Holy Spirit to work in me to do what God has planned for me. In particular, I know I need to do a better job of caring for the temple God gave me. 1 Corinthians 6:19 says “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?”
I’ll admit though… I allowed life to distract me as it continued to march on, and before long I forgot all about that message and what God was trying to do in me. Part of life marching on for me is writing a word of encouragement for our Lincoln family. What a privilege that is… but admittedly, it’s not always easy to find inspiration or know what it is that God wants me to write about. As I’m contemplating, I’m listening to Pandora and the song “Rushing Wind” by Keith Green comes on. “Rushing Wind” is about the Holy Spirit. Ironically, at that moment, the Holy Spirit brought the message back to me!
The Holy Spirit works in mysterious ways. He never shouts (at least not in my life). He whispers… He blows through like wind, shaking up the dust within us, and blowing it out to make room for more of Jesus. We must be open and living a Godly life, holy and pleasing to Him in order to allow the Holy Spirit to do His work in us. As He blows through and moves in and through us, He won’t push, prod, or force us. He gently reminds us, nudges us, and most of all equips us. We must be willing. That’s all. We must simply be open, confess our sin, ask forgiveness and turn away from it. We can’t do that alone… but we have the power of the Holy Spirit and in His strength, we can move mountains! The Holy Spirit lives in us… and works through us… to do God’s will. What an honor and privilege that is… we are His home!
“Lord, may I be obedient, and faithful, in caring for Your home to the best of my ability. May I live a holy life, pleasing to You, and may I be sensitive to Your Holy Spirit in all things. Amen.”