Change and the Holy Spirit

John 16:7 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

We grow attached to people and things. We like things to stay the same in our lives. We like stability and continuity. So it is with much pain that we endure the changes that are a routine part of life. We grieve loss and with each loss we grow a little more resistant to new people and things in our life.

It is said that during World War II there were many units that went through basic training together and then went through the D-Day invasion together. These units were very tight and had learned to lean on each other and trust each other. They fought for each other more so than they fought for the cause of freedom. Not that the cause was not important to them, it’s just that their camaraderie in the trenches was such that they became a Band of Brothers and had each other’s back. The problem was that when you get that close to someone it is extremely painful when they become a casualty. Because of that pain they wouldn’t even bother to learn the names of the green recruits that were brought in to replace their comrades. They didn’t want to get close. They knew that these green recruits lacked the experience that had kept the veterans alive and often ended being the first ones to get killed when they went into battle. The veterans became hardened and closed off. Sadly, those traits followed many of them into civilian life and there was a whole post-war generation of men that were closed off to their feelings. It even affected the Church as the prevailing theological move of the day was to intellectualize their faith and not allow any feelings to be a part of their relationship with God.

Not that we should be ruled by our emotions, but the Bible tells us that we were made in God’s image and there is passage after passage in the Bible that tells us about God’s emotions toward His people. He wants to know and be known. So it is not surprising that a strong experiential move was spawned from the 60’s through the 80’s as people discovered God’s immanent presence, the love of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.

To be sure, any time there is a move of God, there are excesses. All of a sudden the pendulum swings wildly in the opposite direction as religious leaders are quick to put rules in place to regulate these excesses. In doing so, many times we end up throwing out the baby with the bath water.

God is creative. His Spirit is constantly finding new and creative ways to reveal the saving grace of Christ and the manifest presence of the Father. Change is a part of being alive. We stubbornly cling to that which we know, when what the Spirit has in store for us is far superior if only we would trust Him.

The disciples had a good thing going while Jesus was among them. They could see Him and touch Him and break bread with Him. He spoon fed them the good news of the Kingdom. In order for them to become Apostles and spread that good news to the four corners of earth it was necessary for Jesus to leave so that the omnipresent, omniscient and omni-powerful Spirit of God could propel them to new heights.

We have to stop holding on so tightly to our comfortable, known present if we are going to make room for His future. Come Holy Spirit.