During the years of my life in Christ, I have seen many different people struggle with their spirituality. To be fair to all, I also struggle with this, often contemplating how “I” should embrace the supernatural characteristics of God Almighty. His Spirit can be like still, deep waters… calm and serene. At times, I believe He also can manifest His presence in awesome power that is difficult to comprehend, let alone label or replicate.
I will say that, based upon my own observation and convictions about the matter, way too many people in the Christian community try to overcompensate when it comes to matters of the Spirit. At times, it seems like people try to validate their role in the Body of Christ by latching onto a perceived spiritual gift, then ONLY focusing on it to the detriment of the rest of scriptural instruction. Do you understand what I am saying here?
Let me clearly say that I do believe that God gives spiritual gifts to His children, and He expects us to use them in His service to bring Him glory. We are also instructed to use our gifts to lift each other up, encouraging one another in the faith. Often, however, some of His overzealous children believe that they somehow have a gift that places them above the rest of the Body and arrogance starts to creep in. If you feel like you have some “special gift” that is based upon some magical esoteric knowledge that is unique to you, well… be careful. There is nothing new under the sun, and the Bible has the final word on your behavior. If what you “feel” conflicts with the scripture, you are wrong. It’s that simple.
Let’s consider the extremes. I know that some of the brethren seem dead and void of the Spirit at times. Yet, if they are truly saved, they have the same Spirit that you do. Maybe they are not as dead as you suppose. A wise man once told me that generally speaking, deep waters run quiet, full of power and weight. However, the shallows are bubbly and sometimes even violent in their dash across the surface, rushing here and there… yet they have no depth, no stability.
Now, for my quiet-natured brothers and sisters who are appalled by outward exhibitions of the Spirit of God, I would suggest to you that things you do not understand are not always false, nor did they all perish with the Twelve. Certainly, there are charlatans and con-men out there, no doubt! Yet, I have personally experienced some things that can only be tied to the supernatural power of the Spirit of God. As a missionary, indeed, a Baptist missionary, I have heard staunch, no-nonsense men of God share stories about healings and other manifestations of God’s power in our day. I mean, things that made me shake my head in amazement. So, Christian friends, do not discount the way God may choose to move in our world today. Let me say this before I move on… I truly believe that “signs and wonders” – that are real – bring glory to God and / or open doors of opportunity to spread the Gospel message. They are never solely focused on glorifying a man or woman. Test the spirits, my friends.
Alright, I’ll finish up and tell you that I love you in the Lord, and I am not trying to offend you. Yet, if you are bothered by the commentary above, maybe you need to dig deeper into a wholistic accounting of God’s Word and ask yourself… am I trying to validate myself or am I trying to promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ? If you are truly one of God’s children, the scripture validates you already. Don’t try so hard to prove you are worthy or better or whatever. Your worth and spiritual foundation is in JESUS only… amen.
