The Spirit's Fire
Yesterday we celebrated Pentecost - the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Church visible as tongues of fire. I thought I would change my blog look since we are in a new season of the Church Year (Ordinary Time, I think it is called) and I used a picture that Noah took tonight. It was a beautiful sunset and I thought that the colours were suitable for speaking about fire.
Isn't it interesting that when you pass a flame from one candle to another, the flame from the first candle isn't diminished? It was Abigail who pointed this out to me during Earth Hour on March 23rd. I thought, "That is such a good insight.... and it applies to the Holy Spirit." When the Spirit is passed on from one person to another through the use of the gifts God has given us, the Spirit in us doesn't somehow become less. Just as a flame doesn't die when shared, the life of the Spirit isn't snuffed out when we give God's love, grace, encouragement, exhortation, healing, mercy, generosity, etc. Isn't that wonderful!?! We never have to fear that we will "run out" of the power of God in our lives. We never have to be stingy about sharing God's gifts. We can always give joyfully and plentifully of what God has given us and know that His love and power in our lives will not change.
I encourage you to think about your view of the gifts God has given you. Are you sharing them liberally? If not, what stops you. Is fear involved?
The Holy Spirit was given at Pentecost so that believers in Jesus would be "clothed in power from on high" (Luke 24:49). Let me encourage you, along with the Apostle Peter that "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms." (1 Peter 4:10).
Isn't it interesting that when you pass a flame from one candle to another, the flame from the first candle isn't diminished? It was Abigail who pointed this out to me during Earth Hour on March 23rd. I thought, "That is such a good insight.... and it applies to the Holy Spirit." When the Spirit is passed on from one person to another through the use of the gifts God has given us, the Spirit in us doesn't somehow become less. Just as a flame doesn't die when shared, the life of the Spirit isn't snuffed out when we give God's love, grace, encouragement, exhortation, healing, mercy, generosity, etc. Isn't that wonderful!?! We never have to fear that we will "run out" of the power of God in our lives. We never have to be stingy about sharing God's gifts. We can always give joyfully and plentifully of what God has given us and know that His love and power in our lives will not change.
I encourage you to think about your view of the gifts God has given you. Are you sharing them liberally? If not, what stops you. Is fear involved?
The Holy Spirit was given at Pentecost so that believers in Jesus would be "clothed in power from on high" (Luke 24:49). Let me encourage you, along with the Apostle Peter that "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms." (1 Peter 4:10).
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