you ought to say, If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.
James 4:15
I keep coming back to this mystery, what is the spirit-led life? How do we live in a world of commitments and monotony and yet live like the wind which no one knows where it comes from or where it is going?
We are here in Nis, Serbia right now. It is a city of about 500,000 people. 5 Roman emperors actually grew up in this city, one fifth of the total amount. It is the birthplace of Constantine the first “christian” emperor. Also Dionysius the greek god originated somehow in this city. Nis puts the “nys” in Dionysius. It is predominantly orthodox, there are a few evangelical churches in the city. We have come here to share God’s love and meet up with ministries and find contacts to send future racers here possibly.
We had a fair bit of free time the first week because it was tough to get in touch with some of the people we were trying to meet. An amazing thing happened. For the first time in a long long time I had a ton of free time and also almost no internet access. My team really grew close together that week. We had so much laughter and so many adventures. We prophesied over each other and encouraged each other. I felt so alive, and God really did a lot in my life.
That was what prompted my last blog entry. I was so amazed at simply having free space that God could do things in. We had so much fun and could just get up and do something good that we saw to do. In the last few years I have had to put off so many good ideas or things to help people out because I was busy. Since then I have been studying this out. When should we make commitments? Can we ever break them? How do we leave room for God to move?
Yesterday a few of us were sitting in a park praying and worshipping on a beautiful fall day. I lay back on the grass and started praying and this verse came into my head
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. John 3:8
It really amazed me, I had to think about it for awhile. What in the world does that look like? I’ve only seen it a few times. There was a guy I met in Washington D.C. named brother Gary who most epitomized this idea. My ministry leader Wade was friends with him and we met him in a park. He just walked up to us and said “Wow, Daddy told me to go left and here you are!” His life is a walking adventure. He listens to and obeys the spirit like no-one else I’ve met. Sometimes god tells him to wait at a restaurant until a person shows up that God wants Him to meet. He will go to Rome or another country at a moments notice if God tells him to. He is so filled with joy and love. Miracles happen wherever he goes.
God provided him with a great job where he only needs to work a few days a month and it provides for all his needs so He can just go wherever the Spirit tells him to. Is this possible for everyone?
In Canada I was visiting my friend Josh in Kitchener Ontario. And I met a man at his church named Doug, he was an amazing guy. Full of joy and friendliness. He is an inventor. One day his friend was telling him about how hard it is to clean their well. As he was praying that afternoon or in the next few days God showed him this incredible invention that would clean wells faster, cleaner and a lot easier. He sketched out the design right away and over the next year or so built it. He is revolutionizing well-cleaning with all the inventions God gives him. His house is paid for and so he doesn’t have many expenses and sometimes he gets in his van and drives across Canada just following the Holy Spirit. He picks up hitch-hikers and loves them and treats them really well.
One time he was driving and the Holy Spirit told him to stop at the side of the road and go see a nearby river. So he walks up to this river just as this kid gets caught up in the stream and starts drowning. His dad is on the other side and yells but can’t do anything to help. He is able to pull the kid out of the water and save his life. Is this possible for everyone?
There are so many people who have walked into this life-style of following the Holy-Spirit into amazing situations where they can make a difference. Jesus was very unpredictable in each situation. I don’t think he healed the same way twice. You never quite know how he is going to get across a lake either by walking on it or by boat :). He was totally led by the Spirit. If you look at one of those maps in the back of the bible that show Paul’s missionary journey it is so funny. Big swerves and loops all over, he goes just wherever the Spirit tells him.
So what about commitments? What about jobs, and teaching sunday school or things like that? How do we remain faithful to our word and yet open to the leading of the Holy Spirit? I think it comes down to this verse
You ought to say, If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.
James 4:15
Whenever we make a commitment we should always preface it with this. I commit to doing this unless the Lord wills me somewhere else. I will follow Him above any earthly commitments that I make.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Romans 8:15
That’s my conclusion so far at least 🙂
