Settling in the Spirit

Learning to live by faith is a journey. It is a process. You do not become a believer and heart and soul lover of Jesus and poof...become spiritually mature. You also don't JUST attend church and...poof find yourself full of faith. Learning to live in faith is like navigating in your home when it is completely dark. The first time you took a step in your new home, in the dark, you were very tentative. You took small steps and eased through and around obstacles. Sometimes you avoided the obstacle and sometimes you broke your toe. Another night comes, you wake up, and you have a choice. You can just stay in bed (and probably be miserable because the whole reason you are awake is because you need to pee), or you can get up and do what you are feeling led to do. After several late night ventures, you can probably walk around your home in the dark at a normal pace. Eventually, it does not matter if it is day or night, you are so familiar in your surroundings and trusting of where the obstacles are and how to avoid them, you can move around just as well in the night as you do in the day.

Faith is the same way. In the beginning of your journey, you receive a lot of information in your head...who Jesus is, how He lived, why He died. That info, because it came to you from God's Word, begins to seep into your heart and change you. As the change begins, the Holy Spirit, the one Jesus left behind to be our helper, begins to lead. At first, you are careful...unsure...wanting to believe but not sure someone hasn't moved an end table on you. But God is faithful, true, loving, and patient. He gives you signs. He affirms your faith steps. He gives you results that are answers and assurances and proof that He is here...right here...right now.

As your faith grows and you begin to be comfortable in your walk, you settle in the Spirit. Questions are replaced by acceptance and thinking is replaced by believing. You can be content, be joyful, be full of praise and worship to the Father because He is present...oh so present. He is our loving Father who created us and gave us a way to relationship with Him. He gave us Jesus to walk in truth in a form we can see and relate to. He left us the Holy Spirit to fill us with peace, love, mercy, grace, and be the guide we need.

The key to settling in the Spirit is His Word. You can own your dream car...shiny,polished,and with an engine that purrs. But it won't do anything without the key. Same thing with your life of faith. It begins when the Word comes alive in You. As the verses wrap themselves around your very DNA, your faith engine begins. Have faith. Stay the course of the Word. It will lead to the ride of your life. Along the way you will settle, cruise, steer with one finger. The Spirit is..can be...behind the wheel. Settle in. Enjoy the ride!