The Spirit Within Me

The latest from Chris’s Commentary

“Always awaiting a teachable moment”

As I spent long lonely nights in a hospital bed in early June, it is fair to say that the Lord Had My Attention!

One effect is that God’s Spirit within me became much more chatty.

In May 1989, when I finally surrendered to the “drawing of Jesus” [1], I knew that I had entered an eternal relationship, but I was quite conscious that I would only very rarely discern the presence of the Holy Spirit.

In fact, over the decades, I really felt a tad excluded whenever I was around spirit filled people. At times I even suggested that they were faking it (sorry about that …).

But now, the spirit is alive within me and really quite chatty in a delightfully powerful way.

I believe I now even understand why I ended up enduring 37 years of near silence from the spirit. Turns out it was me!! I have a huge problem with pride … I have been constantly addressing it for years … but wow, Pride is a Beast … One symptom of my pride is that I very much like to talk all of the time. Even when others were talking, I wasn’t listening, I was planning my own witty response. My communication with the Spirit suffered from the same malady [2]. However, the spirit within me is patient, polite, loyal and persistent. Never interrupting me. Always awaiting a teachable moment [3].

Now my communication with the spirit is open. Turns out that, for me to have the spirit near for the big issues in my life, I need learn the skills of listening and discernment through a constant series of “quick listens” each day. For a routine example: whenever I have a question to ask Bev, I first listen to the spirit and receive direction on exactly the right words and tone for that question!

I love God’s spirit within me and am looking forward to living my changed life.

[1] John 12:32 NKJV  “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”

[2] Psalms 10:4 NIV  “In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.” 

[3] Psalms 46:10 NKJV “Be still, and know that I am God”