Free and Focused
“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” ––John 10:10, NKJV
Being preoccupied with the force of the Holy Spirit within is God’s man’s strongest motivation in overcoming what the Bible tells us is the world, the flesh, and the devil. Without the preoccupation and concentration of this amazing gift that Jesus gave every one of His children as He physically left this world, we will not experience the victorious life He has promised. God’s will is not that we are victims, but that we are victorious. There is no heavenly equation for remaining in the wilderness or for settling for defeat. As motivational leader Shannon Kapp says, “When you don’t quit, you win.” This is spot on for the spiritual life.
So how do we avoid drifting and getting stuck? We have all heard the illustration of the coach telling his pitcher, “Whatever you do, don’t give him one high and inside.” We usually do what we hear in our mind—the mind that God has given us as an amazing instrument. We have been given the gift of choice which controls our mind, but there are also those times when we are out there in “la la land” (so to speak).
The abundant life is evidenced by a man who is secure in his belief and faith in His Savior. Security happens on purpose. We no more drift into spiritual security than we drift into an adulterous affair. Choices are made; beliefs (right or wrong) are accepted and pursued. If we consciously make the wrong choices, or let our mind drift, we lose the security and confidence that God promises His children.
His love for us demands that we war against the world, the flesh, and the devil. This is the pathway out of the victim/defeat pit. How do we do this? By being preoccupied with the gift God has given us, His Holy Spirit. Our Coach says, “Whatever you do, be preoccupied with my gift, the Holy Spirit.”
Holy Spirit, thank You for keeping me free and focused.