God has a plan and a purpose for you.
In order to fulfil the plan and purpose God has for you, you need the Holy Spirit, and to be filled with the Holy Spirit, you have to want it. The world needs God, and we can further God’s kingdom by allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us and with us. We have to take on board the plans God has for us; accepting Jesus as our Lord and Saviour is just the first (albeit important) step.
Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
1 corinthians 12:1-7
We all have different kinds of gifts, skills, and talents; some we learn and develop through years of practise, some we are born with and hone through training, and others are given to us through the Holy Spirit – spiritual gifts. God gives us these spiritual gifts freely, but we have to step up to allow the Holy Spirit to use us.
Here are some of the spiritual gifts God gives us:
The gifts of the Holy Spirit are supernatural endowments that God uses to carry out the ministries of the Church. The Holy Spirit is the breath of God and the Spirit of life; the Church comes to life when the Holy Spirit is in it, and when the Holy Spirit is in the Church – God’s people – we can minister to those who are struggling and in need. God gives us life, and life abundantly; do you want it?
The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
john 6:63
When we first get saved, we are like babies. We need to be spiritually fed and taught to grow in our faith. God feeds us and teaches us; are we listening? Are we seeking and receiving the life that He gives?
Our God is a God who cares for us. He cares for you! God wants to pour out His Holy Spirit on all of us, so that when we go out, people will see a difference in us; perhaps a supernatural peace or joy or love for others. Are you ready to step up? When you go about your day, ask God to lead you to specific people to whom you can minister or speak to through the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Step outside of the box you have created for yourself; where is God leading you? Step up and allow the Holy Spirit to do the work that He has put in place for your life. Sometimes, things may not go the way we expect, and there might be times of disappointment, but trust God and follow His leading. Step up and be counted for what God is doing.
If this is something you struggle with, pray about it. Ask God to help you be the man or woman He wants to you to be. The intention of the manifestation of the Holy Spirit is to build the church, and each of us have a part to play in building the church that we are a part of; so be encouraged by that!
Don’t let the past distract you; look at what you can do here and now, and look forward to what is coming. Be persistent; be obedient; be willing to pick up the mantle wherever God wants you to run with the Holy Spirit. Be examples to the people around you, be it where you live or where you work; God wants to move powerfully for you and through you!
God gives power to people to be His witnesses. He gives strength to the weak. To those who are strong, He gives even more strength!
Are you prepared to step out of your comfort zone and do what He wants you to do?
We have a responsibility to build on the foundation that Jesus laid out in Acts 2; the church is founded in the power of the Holy Spirit with gifts flowing through vessels being used by God for the edification of the church for the glory of our heavenly Father. The Holy Spirit bears witness to Jesus, so that the church will always draw closer to Him.
Today, He wants to take you on a new journey. He wants to take you on a journey where you can say, “Here I am, Father, whatever it is you want of me, fill me with your Holy Spirit to do it.”
If you are obedient to His calling, He will help you further His kingdom.
‘In the last days,’ God says,
‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.
In those days I will pour out my Spirit
even on my servants—men and women alike—
and they will prophesy.
And I will cause wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below—
blood and fire and clouds of smoke.
The sun will become dark,
and the moon will turn blood red
before that great and glorious day of the Lord arrives.
But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord
will be saved.’
acts 2:17-21