I spent this past weekend camping with the singles group from my church and it just felt right. It was one of those moments in life that you just don’t want to come back from; I didn’t want to let go of it in order to come back to reality. Life is funny like that, sometimes it is a person or group of people that enter your life and make you feel complete for the moment, yet when they step back you realize it is only you and God.
I think a lot of people miss out on the full life God wants to give us because they simply are to afraid to give God full control of their life. When you allow God to have full control you are essentially allowing Him to guide you by His Spirit (the Holy Spirit) along the path He has for you. Peter, one of Jesus’ followers, said to a huge group of unbelievers, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2: 38).
Some people try so hard to be a good Christian and they feel exhausted at the end of the day because of their efforts. They feel like they are not good enough and like they can’t be a good Christian. The truth is they are right, we can not be a good Christian through our own efforts, eventually we will make mistakes. The good news is that if we let go, and let God be our guide we will begin to understand the full benefits of the Holy Spirit in our life. He gives us the power and resources to do the things God wants us to do. He guides the right people into our life, to provide for our needs. He gives us hope for a better tomorrow.
The Holy Spirit also guides us to Jesus, He helps you to want to read the Bible; want to pray; and want to tell people about Jesus. You begin to feel connected to God in a whole new way.
Have you ever had an old pair of leather boots that looked hard and dried out, then with a small amount of oil the leather becomes supple and beautiful again. That is a good picture of what the Holy Spirit does in our life. God says to us (put your name where the blanks are) “To —-________ who mourn in Israel, He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, _________ will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory” (Isaiah 61:3).
During our camp out we studied the parable of the different soils found in Luke 8: 4-15, Matthew 13:1-9. From this study it became apparent to me that as a sower of seeds I must be aware of the soil I am planting each seed in and that it may take time to prepare the soil prior to planting the seed. But as a seed I must be aware of the one who plants me and place my hope in Him to tend and prepare the soil I am in so that I may grow strong and fruitful. As a seed I have no control beyond my ability to die to my self and grow into the plant God has for me to become. My very existence is dependant on the one who plants me and tends me as I grow and become strong. When I fall down, he picks me up. When weeds grow around me, He gently pulls them out so they don’t block my ability to grow.
God wants to take what is dried up in our lives, the old things from our past and replace them with beautiful, healthy things as we follow Him. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5: 22,23).
So spend some time talking with God and let God have full control of your life. “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” Psalm 34:8
Thank you.
By: Nikki on September 6, 2011
at 8:52 PM