avoiding god

I was recently reading Francis Chan's book "Forgotten God" about the person and work of the Holy Spirit. At one point he asks a question that I think is both intriguing and in some ways frightening. Essentially he asks, "When was the last time you undeniably saw the Spirit at work in or around you?" That's a question every follower of Christ should be asking themselves. Ask yourself that question. If you've recently witnessed the undeniable work of the Spirit in you or around you, then pause for a few minutes to give thanks to God for the opportunity to witness the supernatural at work in our natural world and for His active work in your life.

If that question brings you to the realization that it’s been a while since you’ve witnessed the Holy Spirit irrefutably working in or around you, then it’s time to ask yourself, “Why?” Could it be that you’ve heard Him ask you to do something that carried with it the risk of looking foolish, so you decided to ignore His prompting and convinced yourself that it wasn’t God speaking to you? Could it be that your life is filled with so much activity that the voice of the Spirit can’t be heard above the din? Could it be that you’re harboring something in your heart that you’ve been unwilling to yield to the lordship of Christ, so you’ve been avoiding His presence in order to sidestep dealing with it?

Whatever the reason, we all need to remember that the Father loves us and He is working in our lives with an eternal perspective. We tend to lose sight of eternity and live as if this life is all there is. When we lose the perspective that this life is temporary, then we begin to live in fear and we end up giving our lives to things that are ultimately meaningless. We all need to slow down and take time to listen to God. We can trust Him to work in our lives for our good…even if it frightens us.