Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. -2 Corinthians 3:17
Yesterday, we celebrated Pentecost Sunday. Symbolically, we have begun our journey with the Holy Spirit. If you are newly saved, this might be the beginning of your journey with the Holy Spirit. Either way, this is an exciting opportunity. We have the living God living within us. All the work that Christ did while on earth has led up to this point. As promised, Jesus did not leave us alone. We have the Holy Spirit. That indeed is Good News.
So, what does this mean for us?
How do we fit into the story of God now that we have this new superpower? What is God calling us to do both individually and collectively? Where have we been avoiding God? Where has fear crept in and become a god in our lives? Procrastination is a form of fear. So, if we are procrastinating, we are living in fear? How can we be God’s hands, feet, and love in this world if we keep making excuses because we are filled with fear?
The answer, try a little courage.
As the saying goes, courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is doing what must be done in the face of fear. Franklin D. Roosevelt said that “courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.” What could be more important than our obedience to God, even in the face of fear?
How can we do what we are afraid to do?
The answer, try the Holy Spirit.
Sometimes, we become so paralyzed with fear that we lose our freedom to be the people that God called us to be. We get caught up in perfectionism and we become stuck because we can’t figure out the perfect way to do something. Sometimes we get caught up in the past and we become stuck because we can’t forgive someone or ourselves. Sometimes we look at an assignment and we give up on ourselves because it is too hard. Sometimes we are just being disobedient or defiant because of our sinfulness. No matter the source of our enslavement to fear or sin, we have an escape partner. The Holy Spirit has everything we need to become all that God has called us to become.
The final answer, surrender.
We must surrender to the power of the Holy Spirit. To know God is one thing but to surrender to God is the beginning of freedom.
Are you ready to give up your excuses and your fears? If yes, simply surrender to the wonder-working power of the Holy Spirit?