Spirit Filled Life

Christ has promised us that, just as the Holy Spirit raised Him from the dead, if the Holy Spirit lives in us, He will raise us also from the dead. The promise of the resurrection is the greatest possible reminder of a God who will share his glory with us. Do you believe in the resurrection? Have you ever wondered how and when we will resurrect? St. Paul reveals to us the Holy Spirit will be responsible for our resurrection (Romans 8:11-13). We were created to love God and to love our fellowmen. He says our spirits need to form a bond of love with the Holy Spirit who will lead us according to God's purpose and plan for our lives.

As believers we no longer live according to our own spirits desires. It is these desires that draw us away from fellowship with God and His children. We must be ever vigilant of our desires that so easily make us trip and fall. Some times our desires very subtly draw us away from our walk. In our own frustration we do things we shouldn’t. We hope for things we shouldn’t really hope for. We find ourselves living in fear of some event happening. We continue to remain angry about something that was said or done to us many years ago. We moan over some broken relationship. We find ourselves doing things just for fun and then regretting them later. We find ourselves going in the wrong direction, unable to break the momentum of the wrong path we are spinning into.

How do we break away from hurtling away from God's ways? We need to have a certain amount of discipline in our lives. Does that mean we plan our lives to take a path that will lead us to get the best only for ourselves? That is a dangerous road to take. When our lives are self-centered, there are bound to be disappointments. There are going to be things that will make us trip and fall. Certain tragic events happen that make us rethink our lives' direction. The goals of our peers may not necessarily be our own and we are bound to clash. When we don’t realize our goals, in our frustration we do things that are more unthinkable. Our needs may not be the same as those of our families. This only leads to clashes in families. We have to stop relying just on our needs, our emotions, our peers, and our selfish goals. Instead we should base our thoughts and actions on the commands and words of Jesus through the guidance and help of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said I am in the Father and the Father is in me. We need to invite the Spirit of Christ into us that we may do his bidding. It is the Holy Spirit that enables our spirits to combat all those thoughts and feelings that make us spin away in the wrong direction. The Holy Spirit begins to refocus our thoughts and feelings and actions based on God's principles. Our spirits are no longer led away by every whim and fancy that the world has to offer. Our spirits no longer are pressured into conforming to the standards set by the world.

St Paul says that God causes all things to work for the good of those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Is it not a great assurance to be called by God, to feel his chords of love draw us into his plan and purpose for us? Our spirits have no idea what they should do for the Lord. He slowly reveals it to us. He gives us gifts that we can use to build up his Kingdom. When we are led by our own spirits we are not in line with God's plan for us. But when we are led by the Spirit of Christ we start pursuing the purpose for which we were created. If we do as the Holy Spirit leads us, we will begin to see God working for the good of us all. Our spirits feel secure in the hand of God that is leading us through our lives towards living in peace with God and our neighbors.