"Could this whole Holy Spirit thing have meant something more?"
Scripture Reference: Acts 2:12 (NIV) Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
The study notes in my Bible’s margins remind me that our points of view filter what we see and experience as we try to figure out what things mean. Since many people who were critical of Jesus during his time felt he was hanging with the wrong crowds, they figured the outward result of the Holy Spirit’s coming meant those filled with it were simply drunk. It made sense to them. But as time passed and these seeming drunkards and their families were transformed, those same folks probably figured something else was up.
Could this whole Holy Spirit thing have meant something more? I know I ask that. I wonder if you do as well.
In my spiritual upbringing, the whole Holy Spirit idea seemed like drunkenness to me. My religious point of view told me the Holy Spirit might make sense for others – but I doubted it would for me. I equated the Holy Spirit with something akin to skipping through life, oblivious to struggle, hurt and grief.
But I’m so glad God gave me a new point of view. The Holy Spirit can mean something in my life and yours. I don’t know about you, but I’m all for having “holy joy” in my life – first, because it does not involve any jumping or skipping! And secondly, because I know this Spirit is like having a stream of inner peace. Others will see the reality of my human struggles, but I also can’t wait for them to see the hope the Holy Spirit provides.
Maybe afterward, they’ll wonder about what they’ve seen, and as a result wonder how it could apply to them!
Questions to Ponder:
How does the Lord use the Holy Spirit to upset our ideas of what He is like?
Complete this sentence: The Holy Spirit shows me that God is…
Would you pray this prayer? “Lord, thank you for sending your Holy Spirit and for giving me the willingness to wonder how it applies to me. As you teach me, please magnify yourself in and through my day-to-day experiences. Please allow others to not only become aware of you and your Spirit but also of you and your ability to enable them to live life fully. Amen.”
