"While the Spirit can't be seen, he can be felt, experienced and observed in action." -Chris Hodges, Fresh Air.
Think honestly about your life right now. Do you ever get tired of just thinking about all you need to do by the end of the day, week or month? Do you notice that you're just as tired on Monday as you are on Friday? Many of us live a high-pressured lifestyle. Not only may we run out of physical strength but we've exhausted our emotional, creative and spiritual energy. We can name it depression, burnout or the doldrums, but those feelings are telling you something. A heart that is running on empty and anxious about life's demands can be careless and out of control. Inevitably, someone will get hurt.
Maybe it's time to take off the mask. Sometimes we cover up who we really are by dressing up as something we think others want us to be. For example, we may put on our 'professional mask' to cover up our insecurity, vulnerability or confusion about our job. We can appear to be all-business when it comes to work but truthfully we are damaging our performance and team because we're not honest about what's really going on beneath the surface. This is a huge risk for many people. But, we have to be real in order to earn trust and be trusted. Imagine what it may be like to be honest and vulnerable with people you work with. What would it be like to be able to say, "I don't know how to solve this problem," "I don't have the answer" or "I'm feeling overwhelmed right now." My personal favorite confession is "I've got nothing right now." Being real means we must remove our mask in order to experience the life-giving breath of fresh air.
The Holy Spirit loves to teach us new and inventive ways about how we can live life to its fullest. He can inspire new thoughts, create inquisitive questions and reveal vital truth. He is the source of revelation and the power to ignite scripture to work within us. The intellectual gospel is always in danger of creating a God who looks like us and is limited to one our size. People who need answers before they experience God reduce God to a manageable size of their own capacity. Sometimes it seems safer to have just enough God to get to heaven but not so much that he radically alters our lives.
As we wind up our Ignite Series, I pray you discovered that God is not limited to what you're currently experiencing or how you've experienced him in the past. It is depressing to believe there is nothing more to discover and no new adventures on the horizon. If life has become boring, predictable and uninspiring maybe it's time to do something radically different. Remember, without faith it is impossible to please God. He rewards those who diligently and earnestly pursue him. (Hebrews 11:6) Maybe it's time to stop thinking about what you're doing and just do it.
May the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you. 2 Corinthians 13:14 The Message