Glen Ellen Community Church

 

Sometimes it’s hard to understand the realm of God and His ways.  They are backwards and flipped upside down from everything we know and understand.  Like Mark 9:35,  “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” How often in this world do we see those in positions of authority and superiority working as a servant for those under them?  Rarely.  It doesn’t make sense to our minds, and therefore as we step into a life with Jesus we have to understand that there is really no ability for our spirit to comprehend His thoughts or His ways by doing what we have always done to grow in knowledge, wisdom, or understanding.

 

When we take the cross of Jesus and choose to believe that He died for our sins, the Holy Spirit comes to live and dwell in us.  Most Christians have at least some understanding of this, but some never discover why He’s there.  It’s not just for fire insurance.  The Spirit of God comes to speak to us, and to share with us all of God’s wisdom, thoughts, and ways.

 

 

If He came for fire insurance, there would be no need for His guidance, or for Him to speak at all.  He would simply reside in us as a mark for eternity.  But, that’s not what the Word tells us.  He comes to speak to us, and to lead us into all truth.  He comes to comfort, help us, and guide us through this life in Him.  He knows all of God’s wisdom and ways, and was given to us to share them with us.  

 

God is calling us to a life in Him.  He tells us in Galatians 5:16 and 2 Corinthians 5:7 to walk in the Spirit and to walk by faith and not by sight.  Jesus sent us His Spirit so we could do just that. There’s nothing holding us back, except maybe ourselves.  

 

1 Corinthians 2:14 – But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (NKJV)

 

Or, in The Message translation – The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature, can’t receive the gifts of God’s Spirit. There’s no capacity for them. They seem like so much silliness. Spirit can be known only by spirit—God’s Spirit and our spirits in open communion.

 

God has given us His Spirit to speak to our spirit, and yet, what Paul is saying is that we try to understand Him with our mind, the natural man.  But, the natural man has no ability to comprehend the Spirit.  

 

Why do we do this?  Because the things of the Spirit are foolishness to the natural man.  It’s not that we don’t hear from God through His Spirit, because we do!  It’s that we struggle to make sense of His ways, so we disregard what we hear in effort to preserve our pride and hold tight to our confidence, and to look for a more natural wisdom that we can make sense of and therefore not have to step out in faith at all.  Again, why? Because faith can look scary. Faith can look like walking on the water or straight into a den of lions. What man wouldn’t counsel you against either of those things?  And yet we know that God called Peter out on the water, and was with Daniel in the lions den.  Where is He calling you? How is He leading you?  

 

In order to pick up the wisdom of God, we must actively lay down what makes sense to our mind. Furthermore, we may not need to simply lay down our own thoughts and ways, but we may also need to lay down our pride, and risk looking like a fool to everyone around us. It’s a choice to quiet our minds and listen to His Spirit which speaks to our spirit.  It’s a choice to seek Him diligently, desiring His ways above our own.  It’s a choice to recognize and understand that, more often than not, we will not be able to make sense with our minds what He is sharing with us.  And, ultimately, it will be a walk of faith to follow Him and not ourselves or the world.  

 

It may be scary, and it may appear to be utter foolishness.  In fact, the enemy may even try to torment you with the fear of failure, the fear of man, or even just the nagging “what if” thoughts that can bring in doubt and confusion.  But, look up!  Listen, and ask Him to fill you with His thoughts and His peace.  As easily as you can hear thoughts of fear and doubt, the Lord has many more thoughts of strength, faith, peace, and boldness to share with you. 

 

We have the opportunity throughout our lives with Him to choose to walk in our wisdom and ways, or to choose His.  It may not be easy,  but it will be worth it!  Build yourself up and have the courage to choose Him.  You will not regret it!