Dear Saints

What holds you down? We all have some thing(s) that weigh us down as we try to move forward. For some of us it’s fear and doubt. For others of us it’s negativity. For others of us it’s unhealthy habits. And for others it’s physical limitations. As much as we want to grow, progress, or change, we all struggle with a variety of “thorns in the side,” as Paul called it. Well, no matter whether your “thorn” is mental, emotional or physical, the good news of the Christian life is that it can be overcome. No, we can’t always eliminate our thorns, but still, with Christ, we can overcome.

 

By virtue of our baptisms, we have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit is not only the comforter, but also the giver of strength. When the flesh is weak, the Spirit is ready and willing to provide strength. When voices (inner or outer) threaten our confidence, the Spirit is ready with a message of good news. When fear creeps in, the Spirit brings peace. No matter what holds us down, the Spirit has  tool in her toolbelt ready to address it head-on.

 

Now for the challenging part. The challenging part is stepping aside and allowing the Spirit to do her work. The difficult part is getting out of the way – getting our ego out of the way, getting our negative self-talk out of the way, getting our temptations out of the way – to make room for the Spirit. It’s not easy because we like to rely on ourselves. We like to depend on our own devices. We like our comfortable ways of thinking, our comfortable ways of acting, our comfortable patterns, no matter how dysfunctional they may be.

 

The Good News is that the Spirit can help. The Spirit can help make room for her work. Through prayer, through discipline, through Christ-centered friendships, the Spirit can teach us how to get out of the way and listen. Paul writes, “To set the mind on the flesh is death,” meaning that focusing on our limitations, our temptations, our habits, will not set us free. “But,” he argues, “to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. ” Focusing on the Spirit, inviting in the work of the Spirit, trusting in the strength of the Spirit, is the path to freedom, to peace and to what scripture calls “the life that really is life.”

 

As the season of Lent nears its culmination, may we turn to the Spirit for the strength we need to endure, to deepen our discipleship, and to witness Christ’s sacrifice for our sake.

 

+ Pastor Ginger +