Love and the Holy Spirit
Today's blog may sound like a repeat of what I have already said about God's love....but I need it. I need to keep reminding myself of what is true so that I can believe it and live it! So here are my thoughts for today....
If anger isn't to be the power source in my life but love is, then maybe I need to make a more concrete practice (or habit) of making sure that I am "fueling up" on God's love. The picture that immediately comes to my mind is the Red River Co-op Gas Station just down the street and around the corner from our house. How many times a week do I fill up my car there? Usually once or maybe twice. That's all I need for the driving I'm doing.
But when it comes living real life - the challenging situations, the repetitive demands, the many opportunities to be gentle and patient (and not angry and irritable), and the unmet expectations - I think I need to fill up on God's love a bit more than once or twice a week! Actually, the more I consider it... the filling up the car and going away from the source of fuel image is wrong. That image has me thinking about relying on Church or Bible study as the only opportunities to connect with God and His love for me. That is not sufficient. Even having daily times alone with God isn't enough. I need something that is more like being on oxygen 24-7.
Biblically, one of the images of the Holy Spirit is the breath of God. John 20:22 says, "And with that He breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit."" The Holy Spirit is for our souls like oxygen for our bodies. God breaths His life, His love into us and it is the source of our ability to "live a life of love" (Eph. 5:2). When I am experiencing a lack of love in my life, a good question to ask myself is, "Am I receiving what God has given me?" "Am I accepting His gift of His Spirit and trusting Him to fill me?" I think I know the answer to both of these in that scenario... nope. But don't despair! This is the beauty of God's incredible grace. At that moment all I have to do is admit that I have been relying on myself (or someone or something else), receive His forgiveness, and once again accept His gift of life to me. Then I walk by faith. Walking by faith doesn't mean that all my feeling will change... that may take some time... but it does mean that I am able to obey God by His power. That His love will be the source of my response... not anger.
So, one of the things I get most mad about (and maybe that's because it needs a lot of energy to be dealt with) is what could be classified as "suffering". Yet as I was looking up a verse (Romans 5:5) for this blog, I was struck by the fact that it is through my suffering, that God's love to me is experienced. I find this challenging, comforting, and humbling. I will leave you with this passage to ponder. Please feel free to give any feedback you have!
Romans 5:1-5 (NIV)
"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."
in Christ,
Tracy
If anger isn't to be the power source in my life but love is, then maybe I need to make a more concrete practice (or habit) of making sure that I am "fueling up" on God's love. The picture that immediately comes to my mind is the Red River Co-op Gas Station just down the street and around the corner from our house. How many times a week do I fill up my car there? Usually once or maybe twice. That's all I need for the driving I'm doing.
But when it comes living real life - the challenging situations, the repetitive demands, the many opportunities to be gentle and patient (and not angry and irritable), and the unmet expectations - I think I need to fill up on God's love a bit more than once or twice a week! Actually, the more I consider it... the filling up the car and going away from the source of fuel image is wrong. That image has me thinking about relying on Church or Bible study as the only opportunities to connect with God and His love for me. That is not sufficient. Even having daily times alone with God isn't enough. I need something that is more like being on oxygen 24-7.
Biblically, one of the images of the Holy Spirit is the breath of God. John 20:22 says, "And with that He breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit."" The Holy Spirit is for our souls like oxygen for our bodies. God breaths His life, His love into us and it is the source of our ability to "live a life of love" (Eph. 5:2). When I am experiencing a lack of love in my life, a good question to ask myself is, "Am I receiving what God has given me?" "Am I accepting His gift of His Spirit and trusting Him to fill me?" I think I know the answer to both of these in that scenario... nope. But don't despair! This is the beauty of God's incredible grace. At that moment all I have to do is admit that I have been relying on myself (or someone or something else), receive His forgiveness, and once again accept His gift of life to me. Then I walk by faith. Walking by faith doesn't mean that all my feeling will change... that may take some time... but it does mean that I am able to obey God by His power. That His love will be the source of my response... not anger.
So, one of the things I get most mad about (and maybe that's because it needs a lot of energy to be dealt with) is what could be classified as "suffering". Yet as I was looking up a verse (Romans 5:5) for this blog, I was struck by the fact that it is through my suffering, that God's love to me is experienced. I find this challenging, comforting, and humbling. I will leave you with this passage to ponder. Please feel free to give any feedback you have!
Romans 5:1-5 (NIV)
"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."
in Christ,
Tracy
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