Blowing In The Wind
As I write this article, the wind is howling outside. Trees are swaying, and the air is whistling through every tiny crack around the windows and doors. I can feel the chill even through the glass window where I sit. I hear we are having gusts up to forty miles per hour.
I’m unsure about forty-mile-an-hour gusts, but I generally enjoy the wind. You can’t see it and don’t know where it’s coming from or where it’s headed. There’s a mystery in the breeze. All we can interpret about the wind is its effects. Winds like today’s cause the trees to sway and the shrubs to rustle. Some of the chairs on my deck are turned over, and I don’t see the plentiful squirrel population scurrying around the neighborhood or munching on my bird food. The air feels much colder than it actually is, so I’m hunkered down in my writing chair for the morning.
There is mystery in the wind, and I like mystery.
One evening, a religious leader named Nicodemus visited Jesus armed with questions about the teacher’s identity. Something was happening inside the leader that made him curious. He was unwilling to write Jesus off and oppose him like many of his fellow Pharisees. Nicodemus sensed something more in this teacher from Galilee.
He opened the discussion by confirming that Jesus was on God’s side since his works could only be performed by God’s power. But what about this “son of God” stuff Jesus was touting? In typical fashion, Jesus replied with statements he knew would confound the Pharisee. He started discussing being “born again” by the water and Spirit. Then, the teacher narrowed his mysterious words to the matter of the Holy Spirit. Being born again was to be born of the Spirit of God.
Being born of God’s Spirit was a mystery, like the blowing of the wind. The Holy Spirit is how someone can be born again. Like the wind, one cannot determine the Spirit’s work of creating new life except by its results. And, like the wind, one can never quite precisely define what the Spirit is doing, how he is doing it, and where he is taking us.
Sometimes, we “sense” a prompt to act on something. We follow through and recognize that this guidance is the work of the Spirit. Occasionally, we feel a conviction about something we are doing wrong, and we know that this "feeling” directs us away from sin. Sometimes, we observe a significant change in someone that transforms them into a better version of themselves. At other times, we witness physical healing that even doctors cannot explain. In some instances, we find our lives heading in an unexpected direction. We are sometimes filled with energy to keep going when we are exhausted. The Spirit sometimes prompts us to make a wise decision to which we ask ourselves, how did I think of that?
Like the wind, the Spirit of God is a mystery but one with a happy ending.
Jesus continues orchestrating the discussion until he reveals himself as the Son of Man. Then, in one of Scripture's beautiful pronunciations, he explains why he is on earth.
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17
From mystery to enlightenment!
The new birth of the Spirit, referred to by the Teacher, occurs when one believes that Jesus is God’s Son. At this point, the work of the Holy Spirit becomes part of daily life. Often, we cannot clearly discern where the Holy Wind comes from or where it is headed. We continue learning from Jesus through His Word, conversing with Him daily, and spending time with other believers who support us on our journey. The Holy Spirit takes all those positive elements and more to move His new creation closer to God and serve as an example to others.
For months last year, I prayed that God would give me an opportunity. I wanted to be involved in a “new to me” ministry that would allow me to travel, work with younger people, and make a little money while doing it. Months passed with no response from the Almighty.
Then, my oldest daughter called and described a possible opportunity for me to work with aspiring church planters through a process called “Discovery,” sponsored by Stadia Church Planting. Guides were needed to assist planters through an intense two-day process that would help them discern their calling, learn their proficiencies, and decipher their Gospel readiness for the culture where they wanted to start a new church.
I have been involved in all the matters associated with planting churches for most of my career. If accepted, I would be paid to travel the country, help lead Discovery events, and make a little money in the process.
Viola! The Holy Wind had been blowing, and I didn’t even know it until then. I just returned from a delightful week in San Jose doing something I love. Oh, that Holy Spirit. He’s a tricky one; he is. I love a good mystery.
Always be on the lookout. The Wind is blowing in your life, too!
Live Inspired!
Don Mark
