Sent by the Spirit
“Sent forth by the Holy Spirit,”
During this quarantine, I’ve felt a lot of pressure to be productive. I’ve wanted to take up new hobbies, teach myself all sorts of obscure things, and perform all of these new skills for the masses to admire. My mind is telling me not to waste a moment.
But then I do. I waste lots of moments, and then I feel like I’m failing. I feel like I’m not giving enough or putting in enough effort. Instead of enjoying the extra space to rest, the driven, high-achiever within me is letting me know that she’s not impressed. And while my inner critic doesn’t love this leisure time, God does.
God is the One who calls.
It’s true - God is the One who calls us, and the Holy Spirit is the One who sends us forth. I often try to send myself - coming up with brilliant ways that I can perform acts of love for God or take on new projects - but if these grand plans of mine aren’t what God wants, then I don’t want them either. I only want to go where He leads.
Today, I’m going back to the basics. I’m stripping off all the expectations that I so readily loaded on my shoulders, and I’m going back to the Holy Spirit. Sisters, I don’t want to go somewhere that God isn’t leading. I don’t want to send myself. The only One I want sending me is the Spirit.
Father,
Thank You for reminding me that I don’t have to invent expectations for myself - that all I need to do is to follow You and Your Spirit. Thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to guide us, to be our advocate and our friend, and to watch over us.
Spirit, please lead us. Teach us how to pray. Teach us how to follow. Teach us how to sense Your pull. When You want to send us, we want to follow so teach us how to know Your voice.
God, we love You. Thank You for giving us the Spirit to guide us. Amen.