Would you say you are a person who naturally keeps your guard up?
If you said, “no,” I want to challenge that answer. I think we all naturally guard ourselves and that’s not always a bad thing. But, when we begin to guard ourselves from the voice of God in our lives, we have to stop and ask what is going on.
Letting our guard down is hard. It’s amazing how we allow the enemy to twist something that is good for us into something that we run from. There have been seasons in my life where I would rather sign up to participate in a hotdog eating contest than let anyone watch me receive correction, right? (double yuk because I don’t eat hotdogs)
Well, when the Holy Spirit nudges, we should listen. We should be willing to let our guard down and be willing to trust Him.
When He asks us why we respond or react a certain way, we shouldn’t ignore him. We should go along knowing He has our best interest at hand.
I sense the Holy Spirit is nudging me about needing His help in a new area which is really an old area where I can easily get snagged. Yes that quicksand seems like it is just an inch away on some days. How can that be. I’m a mature Christian, right?
It’s called warfare, my friend. It’s called growth.
And when it comes, I usually do one of two things, ignore it or I like to blame others. Taking ownership is hard work.
Letting our guard down with God’s help is liberating. When God says:
I want to work in you while you work on you, we should say, “Okay, God, because I know it’s impossible to do the hard work of healing without your help.”
I think the Lord sees me struggling and settling for the things that I can do and yet I pray for more.
He hears me when I say that I want to be more patient and self-controlled, more grateful and joyful in trying circumstances, but I can’t do all these things without inviting the Holy Spirit to work in me. If I do life without God, life becomes heavy.
As intentional as we may be to create internal change in our lives, we can’t do it without the transforming power of God.
As human beings, we have limitations. We may not like it and we might fight it but no matter how hard we try and no matter the lengths to which we’re willing to go, we are limited in what we can accomplish and make happen. Our humanity gets in the way.
Let’s not forget the invitation to tap the mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms is available to us.
God is not bound by human limitations. He is all-powerful and unstoppable andnd His plan has always been for His children to live in the supernatural power of His unlimited, indwelling Spirit.
