I confess I’m writing this post today for my own sake. I have a couple of older men in my life who walk with what I call “Holy Spirit confidence.” That is, they simply know God, hear from God through His Word and His Spirit, and trust Him with abandon. These are the traits in them I prayerfully long for in myself, too:
- The Word of God seems to drip from their lips. They’ve planted it deeply into their hearts, and they can quote it seemingly with each breath. That Word gives them strength and perseverance.
- Their talking to the Lord is both natural and reverent. They fall on their faces in awe of God, but they also talk with Him as with a best friend. Nothing blocks their prayer channel.
- They have no reservation with saying “The Lord spoke to me today.” I understand concerns raised when folks make this statement, but these men I know would never separate this statement from their study of the Word. They devour the Scriptures—and listen.
- They deeply trust the promises of God. No matter what they face, they turn to God’s promises for hope. They know them, quote them, believe them, teach them, and walk in light of them. Abiding joy is the result.
- They don’t second-guess their decisions. This trait in these men was one of the first that caught my attention. When you seek the Lord, hear from Him, and trust Him, you don’t question your decisions. You just press on under the Spirit’s leading.
- They’re Holy Spirit-sensitive to the sin in their lives. In fact, they recognize even their smallest sins—and they repent almost before the sin is brought to fruition. Men living in Holy Spirit confidence strive hard for purity.
- The supernatural intervention of God in their lives seems almost normal. I’m not at all surprised when these men tell me about God’s incredible answer to their prayers. They expect God to work.
- Humility marks their lives. They’re living examples of the statement, “The closer you get to God, the more you know you need Him.” They’re great men of God who would vehemently deny their greatness.
- They talk about Jesus. A lot. You can’t help but talk about Jesus when you live under the control of the Spirit who points to the Son. Evangelism just happens.
- They rest well at night. That’s because they lay everything at God’s feet, and they sleep in the care of His sovereignty. They may be righteously concerned about something, but they don’t allow themselves to be consumed by worry and sleeplessness.
May God help us live in the confidence of the Spirit!
Aspiring to live a life that honors and glorifies God in everyway and to do everything that we can to fulfill that aspiration with God’s help is God at work in us to will and work for his good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). Each of us, however, is different and that difference, I believe, should be kept in mind, not as an excuse for doing little or nothing to grow as a disciple of Jesus but as a reminder that the Body of Christ is made up of all kinds of organs, not just eyes or lips or hands or hearts. Rick Warren in his concept of S.H.A.P.E. and Aubrey Mulphurs in his concept of divine design draw attention to the fact that God has designed us differently, given us different temperaments, different experiences, different gifts, different talents and abilities, and different interests and passions. These differences will be reflected in our walk with our Lord. As we seek to follow Jesus and to keep his word, each of us will honor and glorify in the way that God designed us to honor and glorify him. We may struggle with prayer but be strong in faith. Scripture may not come easily to our lips but nonetheless is transforming our lives and through our preaching transforming the lives of others. Each of us is a gift to Christ’s Church, to the Body of Christ. We are like the parts of a puzzle, forming together a single picture. Our strengths make up for others’ weaknesses and their strengths make us for our weaknesses. .
Great insights! I do feel even the most Spirit-led have “second-guess” moments; such as, was the message clear? Could i have presented it more effectively? Still, when they have sensed the clear leading of the Spirit in the message or decisions they make, they have that calm assurance that He has led and He will move.