TAKE CARE to keep the streaming of the Holy Spirit in your life
In a devotional I was challenged by this sentence: “Don’t try to control the streaming of My Spirit though you.” (Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling, June 13)Do I really do that? Do I block what the precious Comforter wants to do in me and through me? Do you try to control how the Holy Spirit operates in your mind and heart?Jesus spoke to me and suggested indeed, I do “try to keep control” of the way His Spirit moves within me. After I listened and collected His ideas, the following mnemonic came to mind: TAKE CARE. This cue will remind me of what blocks might arise in my spiritual life. I share them with you, for the purpose of your allowing the Holy Spirit to flow uninterrupted during your walk with the Lord.1. T for Time. Do we set time constraints on the movement of the Holy Spirit? Do I cut short my praying because time demands that I do some earthly thing? Do I chafe when people take up too much of my time with their ideas?The Lord called me to let Him manage my time. The prophet says that revelation comes at the appointed time and that we are to wait for it. The Word declares God brings about “his appearing” in his own time. (Hab. 2:3; 1 Tim. 6:15.)2. A for Approval of men. Do we stop what the Holy Spirit is doing in us because we are seeking the approval of the people around us? Do I shift away from the Spirit’s voice or stop praying in the Spirit because someone has entered my space? Do I feel obliged to respond to him or her, instead of staying connected to the Spirit?Jesus challenged me to put Him first over the opinion of or the presence of a fellow man. (John 12:43)3. K for Knowledge. Do we hinder the peace the Holy Spirit is offering us because we crave knowledge and rationale for what is happening? Do I cut short the inner workings of the Spirit in order to go find an answer to something, or to learn more about a subject? Do I seek knowledge (or sight), instead of operating in faith?The Word says that the Spirit gives us Peace which often surpasses knowledge. We are called to live by faith, not by sight. (Philippians 4:7;2 Corinthians 5:7)4. E for Energy. Do we allow negative energy to boil up within us in reaction to what is going on? In doing this, do we cut off the movement of the Holy Spirit within us? Do I react with a judgmental attitude or a critical, fleshly spirit towards someone and thus stop God’s flow in the situation?Jesus came to redeem/save the world, not to judge us. He clearly said, “Judge not, less ye be judged.” (Matthew 7:1)5. C for Clutter. Do we accumulate clutter around us, taking away space and energy that should be devoted to the Holy Spirit? Do I buy another book, listen to an unnecessary CD, or watch the negative, repetitive world news, cluttering my psychological space with things that are not of the Kingdom of God? Might it be that the clutter of unimportant belongings, or trivial concepts, or corrosive media block the flow of the Holy Spirit within me?God calls us to lose our lives for His sake, not to accumulate stuff. Jesus calls us to seek first His Kingdom and then all that we need will be given unto us. (Matthew 6:33)6. A for Author. Do we forget who is writing the story of our lives? Do I make decisions based on Jesus’s leading me, or do I take the metaphorical pen in hand and write MY own life’s script? If I do the latter, I am clearly putting blocks up so the Holy Spirit can’t flow through me and around me.The Word describes Jesus as the author, originator, and perfecter of my faith walk. (Heb. 12:2-3)7. R for Repent. Do we bumble around holding onto sin, indulging the flesh? Do I ignore the fact that my heart is sinful and corrupt, and blocking (somehow!) God’s activity in my life?We know that the flesh and the Spirit are contrary to one another. So let us keep in the step with the Spirit. (Gal. 5:17, 25)8. E for Eyes. Do we take our eyes off Jesus and hinder the spiritual resonance between His eyes and our’s? Do I start out as Peter did? He stepped out of the boat and locked his eyes on Jesus. Like that believing fisherman, I start to walk across the stormy sea, but then I get scared or confused or distracted. I take my eyes off my Master. When I shift my eyes away from the Father’s Face, do I not begin to sink? The Holy Spirit’s power stops flowing, and down I go!The Word urges us to fix our eyes on Jesus, promising us the Holy Spirit’s joy and perseverance. (Heb. 12:2)Prayerfully, this reminder — TAKE CARE — will bring to your mind possible obstacles to your walking freely in the Holy Spirit. Don’t let issues with Time, Approval, Knowledge, Energy, Clutter, Authorship; Repentance, or Eyes’ focus diminish the dynamic supernatural power available to you. In Christ,