A couple of weekends ago I spent 16 hours in the car by my lonesome and it was glorious! If you have rambunctious and high-energy kids like me, then you’ll understand why 16 hours of driving felt more like a resort vaycay then it did a boring chore.
There were no interruptions.
There were no fistfights.
There were no high-shrilled shouts.
And never once did I hear the word, “Mooooom!”
Can I get an amen?
As part of my pre “vacation” planning, I decided to download a bunch of audio books so I could make a small dent in my ever-growing list of books to read – one book being, “Forgotten God” by Francis Chan.
So there I was, curving through the beautiful mountains, enjoying the view (and silence), when Francis made a statement that gave my whole body goose bumps.
“I don’t want my life to be explainable without the Holy Spirit. I want people to look at my life and know that I couldn’t be doing this by my own power. I want to live in such a way that I am desperate for Him to come through.”
That statement made me pull over. It caused the air in my lungs to gasp. It raised the hair on my arms in such a way; I had to roll up the sleeves of my shirt to avoid itchy discomfort.
This is exactly the kind of life I desire, but we live in culture that preaches a life opposite of the Holy Spirit. It’s all about our timing, our effort, our hard work, our perfection, our achievement, and our accomplishment. We have the education and opportunity to get us this kind of life, and the strategies and social connection to get it fast. Meaning, if we want something bad enough, there ain’t a whole lot that would get in the way.
Except the Holy Spirit…. if we choose Him.
He’s the still small voice that says there’s more to life… the gentle probing that calls us deeper…. the car jerking, lung gasping and hair raising encounters when His sweet presence invades the journey.
This is Who I want directing my life, what about you?
Allowing your life to be led by the Holy Spirit is a choice…. a decision… a desire… and a heart stirring that says you want something more than what this world offers – that you don’t want your life to be explainable without Him.
But it also means letting go of control while inviting Him to lead.
“The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him – the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord.” Isaiah 11:2 (NIV)
For free access to “Forgotten God,” check out these YouTube clips.
Forgotten God Part 1/5
Forgotten God Part 2/5
Forgotten God Part 3/5
Forgotten God Part 4/5
Forgotten God Part 5/5
