Thought of the Day !!

The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
John 3:8 (NIV)

We know not where the wind comes from or where it goes, but we know it's there by its effects. What can we say about the wind? It's mysterious. It can come up on us without us knowing it. It comes when it pleases. We cannot control it. And it can become very powerful.

The Holy Spirit is the like the wind in these ways, but the last two (control and power) are what frightens many people. And because of this they can never take that next step in totally accepting Christ.

We've seen the powerful affects of wind in tornadoes and hurricanes. People on the gulf coast and in New Orleans and even farther inland are still feeling the effects of Hurricane Katrina.

Though the Holy Spirit is not a destructive force in our lives, it's more powerful than even Katrina. God wants to share this power with us. This is not a power to be lorded over others as Jesus reminded his disciples. This is a power over fear. A power to be who God wants us to be. But many are afraid of what that might be and never allow themselves to accept this power.

The Spirit also is an uncontrollable phenomenon. We cannot tame it. And this fact makes it impossible for those who have to have control in their lives and over their lives to truly accept Christ as LORD. They are fine with claiming the blood of Jesus as their salvation, but still want to control what they do and say. But those born of the Spirit will be controlled by the Spirit. For this reason, many cannot take that next step in faith.

Think about your own life. Are you trying to control it. Or are you allowing God to work through you by the power of His Holy Spirit? Can you let go and let God control you?

In the love of Christ,
greg