His Spirit Living in Us

A spark of suspicion ignited as I listened to our dinner guest and watched him fiddle with his beard. That familiar gesture was unmistakable. I’d seen my husband do that same thing countless times.

But then my heart raced as I tried to remember the last time I had seen him with a beard, the one he’d sported for five years. I turned to look at him and discovered his beardless face staring back at me with a mischievous grin. My breath caught—what happened?

After everyone left, I asked, “How long?”

“Eleven days.”

My husband’s beard was hidden in plain sight. So much for my keen powers of observation. I exhibited a phenomenon psychologists call inattentional blindness. Most of the time, we see what we expect and ignore what we don’t. I expected a bearded husband.

Jesus faced the same problem. Despite witnessing the wonders He performed, the unbelieving Pharisees demanded a sign. His disciples also failed to recognize His miraculous activities as evidence of His messianic identity. They misunderstood His mission and tried to force Him into their image of what a Messiah should do.

Mark used Jesus’s healing of the blind man from Bethsaida as a metaphor. After Jesus placed his hands on the man, the man saw people, but they looked like trees walking. Only after the Savior’s second touch could the man see clearly (Mark 8:18).

Like the disciples, we often expect to follow Jesus into a victorious kingdom, not sacrificial martyrdom. We claim His promises yet dismiss the demands of self-denying discipleship. Although we long for His words of comfort, we refuse to invest the time required to hear His small, still voice. We expect Him to honor us with His presence and power while we dishonor Him with disobedience. We want happiness, not holiness, and convenience, not character.

Jesus didn’t come to make our lives easier but to invite us to partner with Him in bringing His kingdom into a changing world. He challenges you to strip off our blinders and follow the God of revelation rather than the God of your imagination.

At seventeen, he became a gunnery sergeant and made snap decisions that no adult should have to make—life-or-death decisions. Dad served in the first wave of boots on the ground in the Philippines during World War II.

He said little about his time in the war, other than a few tidbits we pried out of him. We only knew he was shot in the upper shoulder by a sniper, inches from his carotid artery. After he healed, the Army shipped him back to the front, where he was blown off a hill by a mortar that left him unconscious for a month.

After Dad’s death in 1996, we noticed his military papers had the wrong birthdate. Dad lied about his age to enter the military. His aunt signed for him and told the recruiters he was eighteen. Why would anyone lie to go to war?

Isaiah could only imagine what God had in store in this prophecy of a Messiah (Isaiah 53:5). Although he saw the result of God’s wrath on His people, Isaiah must have wondered what kind of mighty warrior would intentionally suffer for a people who seemingly didn’t care. The truth was, Isaiah knew even in God’s anger and frustration with the children of Israel, He still loved them more than anything. So much so, He was willing to give them a hint of the height, depth, and width of this love. What an amazing God.

When this prophecy rang true, the Messiah had come, and come willingly. He knew death was imminent. Every word Isaiah prophesied came true. Unlike Dad, Jesus never lied about His reason for coming and going to battle. Yet still, we have to wonder why anyone would willingly go to war against death and the powers of evil for us. The answer? Unconditional love.

Our country stands on the cusp of her 250th birthday, and men and women still vow to go to battle for our freedom. There is no greater love. When the fireworks explode on July 4, remember those who fought and even died by choice, so that you might live free. More so, remember the Messiah who did the same.

I’m just a mom. I change diapers, wipe noses, fold laundry, cook dinner, and on an exciting day, adventure to the park with the kids. Wash, rinse, repeat. We often feel as if we’re majoring in the mundane. A life resembling a colorless image unworthy of framing.

Moms, take heart. We are light-years away from ordinary. We’re extraordinary. We are Rembrandt or Michelangelo, commissioned by God to help imprint a soul. We are an indispensable cog in the family unit strategically designed by God.

What will God look like to our children? How will He manifest Himself as love, peace, patience, and kindness? Often, it’s in the seemingly incoherent and unrelated brush strokes on a canvas viewed up close. Caring for a scraped knee—a touch of green. Reading a bedtime story—a brush of gold. Embracing a broken heart—a stroke of red. Forgiving a mistake—a swipe of white.

But varied brushstrokes of love-colored experiences, viewed from afar, become a masterpiece. Mom, we’re the beginning of their faith journey, and we’re assisting the Master Artist in painting on the canvas of their soul.

As the saying goes, “The days are long, but the years are short.” And, in the end, “Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: ‘There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all’” (Proverbs 31:28-29)! You’re a mom.

Sometimes we wonder about God’s plans for us. We wonder whether they differ from our plans. When our meandering thoughts include everything from a grocery list to getting gas for the car, where does God’s will come into play? How do we surrender our will, wants, and desires to Him—the one worthy of our every breath?

We should begin with “Not my will but Yours be done” as our morning prayer, but it needs to grow into our hourly battle cry. This practice of surrender should be one of our plans. In fact, it needs to be the first plan.

Do I really need to go to the grocery store? If so, I can ask God to help me make it my mission field—His plan. I will be kind and not insist on my own way. I won’t just walk in with my head down, but I will make eye contact and smile for Him.

While getting gas, I can be mindful of the people around me. If there is someone in need, I can ask God to help me be generous.

Yet how does God compete with our individual wills (Proverbs 19:21)? He doesn’t. He lets us choose Him—or not. When I compare my planned day with one of God’s, it usually ends with a deep sigh. I either didn’t accomplish much, or I produced a second-place offering that could have easily been a kingdom-building moment.

As a disciple of Jesus, planning my days around His schedule is a must. After all, it’s what I signed up for—to help build God’s kingdom, His way.

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. His plans will prevail. Make sure you are helping them come to fruition, not hindering them.

As I talked to a leader at work, I suddenly felt pointless, like what I had to say didn’t matter. My heart sank, and I felt my self-esteem sinking out through my toes. I fought to maintain a poker face and quickly wrapped up the conversation. His intent was not to make me feel worthless. He was being self-focused and impatient. I then remembered what Eleanore Roosevelt once said: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”

At times, we all experience what I did. We suddenly doubt ourselves because of something another person says—or doesn’t say. God’s plan for us is full of hope, but how often do we doubt His purpose for us and then fail to take our intended place in life? Where are the areas in which God calls us to find meaning and success in our careers, ministry, parenting, marriages, friendships, health, and fitness journeys? We sometimes live far below where God intends.

We need to remember who we are. God wants us to live with purpose and meaning. To know that He created us for a joy-filled life (Jeremiah 29:11). He wants us to know and love Him and those around us as He unconditionally loves us.

In what areas of your life have you believed lies about who you are? Are you living below the life God intends for you? Find truths in Scripture to counteract the lies, and take steps to move forward. Forge ahead and break through the lies that would hold you back and keep you stuck below where God wants you. No matter what others have told you—or what lies you have believed about yourself—believe them no longer. You are loved. God knew you before you were born, and He has a good plan for your life. Take steps to live the good life God intended for you. You are worth it, and you are loved.