A Neglected Gift

I love Jesus! Seriously, I really do. I have to be honest that I do not proclaim my love for Him nearly enough. If I just pause for a moment and realize that when He found me, I was utterly undesirable, filthy and stuck in the miry clay of sin. Nothing in me made me attractive to Him, yet He, in His great love chose to desire me, forgive me and cleanse me. It is because of this that I now love Him with all I am. However loving Him does not make me perfect, no far from it.

This past week I joined the Word of Life Local Church Ministry Team to write future lessons. These lessons focused on the gift of the Holy Spirit. Originally I was tasked with four lessons assigned ahead of time. These were to cover who the Holy Spirit is, what indwelling means, how the Holy Spirit sanctifies us, and love as a fruit of the Spirit. Can I just say wow! It was so much fun studying and preparing those and I am thankful for my team for making them even better.

All three members of my team came well prepared and we were able to move quickly through our lessons giving us some extra time. I was able to take on a couple of more lessons; one on how the Holy Spirit worked in the Old Testament as compared to the New Testament and today, and the sixth lesson on the Holy Spirit in the life and work of Jesus. I tell you this, so can see the amazing week I had studying some amazing truths from the Bible. The privilege of bring such wonderful teachings to teens around the world is awesome!

When you study the ministry of the Holy Spirit you come to realize how utterly dependent on Him we are. If you are a believer, you are dependent upon Him whether you realize it or not. Often we like to do our own thing and invite God along with us, instead of seeking out the leading of the Spirit first. Yet the Holy Spirit pours out His grace on us anyway.

Studying this week I realized afresh the awesome gift it is to have the Holy Spirit active in my life. All too often I take it for granted. If we turn to one of my favorite passages in the Bible, John 4, we see Jesus encounter the Samaritan woman. I firmly believe in a literal interpretation of Scripture and so I believe this is a real account of Jesus interacting with a real woman. However, I see in this woman, me. I see you, I see all of us who look for meaning, purpose and love in all the wrong places. Jesus tells this woman who has been in several bad relationships and leading an immoral life that He has living waters to give her. Jesus says the gift of living waters comes from Him.

Turning to John 7 and reading the 38^th and 39^th verse we see that Jesus is speaking of the Holy Spirit. Living waters is the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit as He begins to make us new and conform to the will of God. Paul describes the evidence of this in Galatians 5:22-23. The Fruit of the Spirit is not a list of things we do on our own, rather they are signs to us that the Holy Spirit, the Living Waters are flowing in us.

The problem comes when I think I am doing good all on my own. Above I reminded you that loving Jesus does not make me perfect (as if you didn’t already know that haha). I try so hard to do it on my own, which is like turning off the faucet of the Holy Spirits power. As I learn to surrender each day to Him, I will see that a flood of blessings, encouragement and power is available. Basically, learning how to get out of the way and let God work His masterful work.

I am so excited for when these lessons hit the press and go out to the churches, for we often neglect the Holy Spirit. How can we neglect a gift that God has given us? Jesus said believe on Him and the living waters will spring up in you! Do you see the evidence of the Spirit in you? If not, right now is the best time to run to Jesus, in humble belief and repentance and watch the waters