July 17

Who Am I? 

  

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.  ––Romans 8:15-16

  

The Holy Spirit changes the way we think about ourselves to create a secure and accepted man who seeks to please God. Versus what? An insecure man who battles for the acceptance of others, seeks to please people, and who loses his identity in the process. The Holy Spirit tells us over and over, “Your dad loves you.” When we let in the truth about how God feels about us, we transform and become “more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). 

The Holy Spirit reminds me of my future, which gives me confidence in the present. When a man feels good about the vision he is working toward, he confidently pursues it. If you have time to prepare for a cross-country drive, don’t you feel more confident than if you wake up one morning and are suddenly told without warning?

The Holy Spirit reminds every believer that a very specific process of becoming like Christ and a very specific plan for the future will be executed because we are in Christ. I call it the end zone dance. Or using our cross-country trip metaphor, you could call it the terminus. The destination.  It is a moment in time when we celebrate the victory of Christ and our own part in that victory. The end zone destination is in sight, as is the glory that goes with it. 

When the Holy Spirit enlightens a man, He explains and makes clear the will of God. His personality and mission are intimately linked to affecting our thinking and in doing so, He influences our living. His knowledge, power, authority, and proximity to God’s man gives the Holy Spirit the swing vote on all matters of life. 

Don’t leave your life journey in the hands of anyone but the Holy Spirit. 

Father, You see me as more than a conqueror in spite of how I see myself. Thank You for plotting my course in life and guiding me toward the end zone.