That’s the first question I ask when dealing with issues of fear. Some immediately squirm. Others frown and cross their arms. Some smile and say that the relationship was great. But very few know the full impact of this relationship to their lives.

Once you understand what you were meant to receive from your father, you can make the connection to how these things affect your life.

A father is meant to provide 3 key foundations in the lives of his children:

• Provision
• Protection
• Identity

This list is by no means exhaustive. However, I’ve found that these 3 foundations come up over and over and are the root of many, if not all our issues relating to fear.

Provision

Most of us understand that a good father is also a good provider. The problem is that we typically equate provision with finances. While that part of the equation at times, it definitely not the whole of it.

Provision is much more far-reaching than having food on the table and ensuring that there are gifts on birthdays and Christmas.

Pain comes in our life either when we don’t receive the fullness of provision that was intended for us or when we receive a distorted provision in the form of a transaction.

Protection

Fathers are protectors. Unfortunately, this is another one that many don’t fully understand. Due to lack in our own relationships, we misunderstand protection and safety for others. Our interpretation of protection is lived out and perpetuated down to our children and their children.

When we interpret protection as safety at all costs, we succumb to being controlled by fear. Creating a safe environment becomes a life devoid of risk. It is a life lived fearing failure, rejection and disappointment.

Both overly passive and overly aggressive fathers can instill fear. It’s only when there is a right concept of protection, that fathers can provide the covering that God intended.

Identity

This is the most important foundation that a father instills in his children. Our identity is formed by what we receive or don’t receive from our father, both by words and actions.

Fathers demonstrate what a man looks like. Fathers demonstrate what a husband looks like. Fathers instill the value of a child in a way that is different from a mother.

What we think about ourselves, how we feel about ourselves and how we value ourselves are all based on our perception of what our father thinks of us.

The Presence of a Father

The only way a father can provide any or all of these 3 foundations is to be present. Unfortunately, there is a rising trend of absentee fathers in our generation.

There are approximately 13.7 million single parents in the US, raising about 26% of children under the age of 21. In other words, over a quarter of the children in our generation don’t have the support of both parents. Mothers make up 82.2% of the parents with primary custody (source). This lack of presence is a telling statistic.

Finding Hope

The good news is that even when we lack in one of these areas or even if we never experienced the presence of our biological father, God reveals Himself as a faithful Father.

Once we understand what we were missing and what God intended for us, we can begin to take steps toward releasing forgiveness and finding freedom. At the end of the series, I’ll outline the steps toward real forgiveness and how that opens the door to receive what God intended.

As the series continues, I will go deeper into each of these 3 foundations. The next post will focus on what Godly provision looks like.

Question:
Was (is) your father present in your life? 

“Fathers be good to your daughters, daughters will love like you do.” – John Mayer

When we think of “daddy issues” we’re typically referring to what’s behind the attention-seeking, flirtatious, promiscuous, overly emotional woman. In a sense there is truth to this generalization but daddy issues aren’t only reserved for women or even these specific characteristics. They affect us all in more ways than we realize.

Over the past 2 years I’ve been a part of the inner healing ministry in my church. I’ve walked a number of people through various issues in life.

I’ve found that fear in some form surfaces in the lives of nearly every person that walks through the door. Without fail, fear finds it’s root in father issues.

These issues manifest in our lives through fear, anxiety, depression, worry, control, insecurity, isolation and apathy.

Our relationship to our fathers is the most foundational way that we are established in our identity. Because we relate to God as a Father, when we encounter pain and hurt with our earthly father it creates a disconnect from our heavenly Father.

This new series will discuss a father’s influence in shaping our identity. It will cover the 3 key things that fathers bring to children. It will describe the result of not receiving one or all of these things and provide guidance on what to do to find healing.

This series aims to hit the root of fear, expose the lies it tells, reveal the truth of God’s word, help us release forgiveness and bring us back into healthy relationship with the One that gives us our true identity.

I hope you join me as I go deeper into our daddy issues and find out what it really means to find your identity in Christ.

I’ll leave you with a question to ponder as we begin into this series:

Do (did) you have good relationship with your father?

I stared down at the text message on my phone in a brief moment of incredulity. I realized that I was going to have to go into the dumpster and pull out trash bags, then haul them across the street on a cart.

The trash at the church wasn’t picked up the previous week because it was just barely more full than they allow. A week later, the trash was out of control. I’m confident people were attempting to recreate the Tower of Babel in the dumpster.

“Are you freaking serious?” I thought to myself. I was not a happy camper.

***

Just last week I took on some additional responsibilities at church. I’ve taken over facilities, which means I keep the campus and buildings clean and fix minor problems as they arise.

Facilities aren’t exactly my “spiritual gift” but we needed someone to fill in for awhile and I could use the extra hours since I’m only part time right now. Plus, I have a servant’s heart so I figured this would be a breeze.

That is until I had to deal with garbage juice.

***

I went inside to find the latex gloves I use to clean the bathrooms. Most of the garbage bags were wet and disgusting so I decided to go in prepared.

What I didn’t realize until half way through the process of hauling out the already-disposed-of trash was that these gloves were about as strong as plastic wrap.

As I loaded up the first cart of trash and began rolling it across the street to the larger dumpster, I looked down and realized that the gloves had ripped open. Garbage juice had seeped in and my hands were all wet.

Fan-freaking-tastic.

***

Few things will test your ability to serve like soaking your hands in garbage juice. So when I consider the fact that Jesus came to earth to serve (Matt 20:28), it sounds absolutely ridiculous.

I was reading Philippians 2 this week and the phrase “let this mind be in you” stuck out to me. Paul was framing the humility of Jesus as He came to us and made Himself of no reputation.

I mean God literally came down from heaven, dwelt among us and spent the majority of His time on earth serving people.

He didn’t just get garbage juice on His hands, He washed the disciples nasty, dirty, funky feet. I don’t even like to look at dirty feet!

Jesus never needed to hear a “Thank you”. Jesus never needed reciprocation. Jesus never complained. He served out of an overflow of love.

So I have a new perspective when Paul says in verse 14 to “do all things without complaining“. He’s basically saying, every time you want to complain about serving others, think about the God of creation making Himself of no reputation and letting people kill Him on a cross. All for the sake of love.

Every time I serve, I have an opportunity to be like Jesus. Not by what I do but by how I do it. When I do something without complaining or requiring reciprocation, I’m serving with a servant’s heart not just a servant’s hands.

And that’s what He’s after, isn’t it? Not just the hands but the heart.

Do you struggle with doing things without complaining? 
How do you keep the right perspective? 

Driving around to another appointment, my son was ecstatic that we had been to Wal-Mart and found a snack that he used to enjoy in Japan (little panda cookies with strawberry filling).

It’s been a good two months since we brought Mizuki home from the orphanage he had been in all his life. Being part of a family in a new place has been a big adjustment, but I know he’s truly beginning to see us as home.

I said something about “Japan” as he was eating his snack and Mizuki repeated.

“You want to go back to Japan?” I asked.

“Japan,” he repeated again. “Mizuki…” and then he quickly adds, “Papa, Mama, Noah, Wesley, Alicia…”

I knew exactly what that was about though. He wants to go to Japan and visit, but still fears that we are going to drop him off somewhere. He believes if the whole family is there, he can be secure. He makes sure to say everyone’s name because according to his thinking, “if I don’t say this exactly right, I could lose it all.”

Sadly, this same orphan thinking works its way into the Church. We have false presuppositions and assumptions about God and His care for us. We listen to the enemy who continues to tell us that our position is insecure, that if we don’t pray or do things exactly right, God won’t respond or will leave us. Our own personal wounds or lack of understanding chime in to echo in agreement.

To settle this issue we need a constant reminder that He is a good Father and knows us better than we know ourselves.

“And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” –Matthew 6:7-8 (emphasis mine)

Jesus then goes on to model a prayer for us–one that honors the Father and sets the standard for how we live out our communication with Him. He makes no mention of being sure to include just the right words or God won’t hear you. He doesn’t say, “if you’re asking the Father for healing, you had better have 16 different verses on the subject ready if you want Him to listen.”

He’s not a boss that we are trying to convince that we are worthy of a raise. He’s our Father. Many Christians are wearing themselves out as they try to cover all their bases or attempting to force God with enough supporting evidence and the Father is saying, “don’t worry about this. I love you and I’m watching over my word to complete it.”

My son may feel that he’s one step away from being “sent back,” but in my mind, there is nothing further from the truth and I tell him as much repeatedly.

Until my son’s understanding grows and our relationship deepens, his fears will cause him to doubt my intentions.

I can’t imagine a single thing that would cause me to abandon him. If that’s my position as an earthly father, then how about our perfect heavenly Father?

And if it weren’t enough that our Father is exceedingly good, loving, and faithful–Jesus the Son lives making intercession on our behalf (Hebrews 7:25). He stands as our Mediator and makes sure that God’s ultimate purposes are fulfilled.

We can embrace our identity as sons instead of constantly looking over our shoulder or fretting we haven’t measured up. We can tell from scripture how Jesus lived and thought as a son. How wonderful will it be when our prayers can align with Jesus’ in John 17:10? “All I have is yours, and all you have is mine…”

It is then that we’ll live in that singularity and oneness of heart and mind that He has provided for us.

Have you ever felt the pressure to “say it just right”?
How do you remind yourself that God is your loving Father and guard against orphan thinking?

###

Jason is a guy who loves Jesus, his wife, and his kids. He’s also the pastor of Breakthrough Church in Juneau, AK. You can check out his blog at EndlessImpact.com where the goal is to connect with others in a conversation about life, service, and faith while connecting to God who is true Impact.

Predestination and election are two terms that I’ve wrestled with for a few years. When I try to wrap my head around these concepts, I never feel like I fully have it figured out. And rightly so because it is a beautiful mystery.

Sometimes another perspective helps me get deeper revelation of a concept. That’s why I like the Message translation of Romans 8:29-30ish:

“After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name.”

There is a lot of technical jargon in the original language about “foreknowing” and “predestining” but this translation gives me new insight.

In the Old Testament, names were a huge deal. When a child was named, they were given their identity. It was a prophetic declaration of the destiny of the child.

• Adam means man or earth
• Abraham means father of a multitude
• Moses means drawn out of the water

By translating predestined as “calling people by name,” it gives a picture of God as a Father naming us as His children. He calls us sons and daughters because He made the decision that we should be like His own son.

You don’t name your children after they are born…well some do, but you know what I mean. If naming your children gives them their destiny, then to name them before they are born is a “pre” destiny. 

Once we believe in Jesus and receive His Spirit, we become sons and daughters of God (Romans 8:14). We take on the name He has given us which destines us to look like His own son, Jesus.

I’ll exchange the complex theological terms for a simple understanding that He calls me by name.

What do you think about this translation?
Does this give you a different perspective on destiny? 

Initially it seemed contrary to a humble heart. The message of humility is something that has marked me. Not because I necessarily have a firm grasp on it. More because the Lord has revealed to me its utmost importance in the life of His followers. So I had to ask myself, does more of Him really mean more of me?

I Must Decrease?

For most of my walk with the Lord, I’ve been taught from the pulpit that I must decrease. John the Baptist is often quoted as he spoke this of Jesus, “He must increase but I must decrease.” (John 3:30).

John was a forerunner for Christ. He was paving the way and setting the stage for the coming of the King. When Christ finally came, John knew it was time for him to get out of the way. Not because he was unimportant, but because he didn’t want to distract from Christ.

People were looking to him for answers when they could now go directly to the Christ. Not figuratively in prayer. Literally in person.

John had to decrease because anyone who came to him received an incomplete revelation of the Messiah. Emmanuel was God with us in the flesh. No other moment in history was afforded this opportunity. If John didn’t decrease, he would have undone the very path he paved.

The Least In The Kingdom

God’s given me this new revelation of humility. It’s not about increasing or decreasing. It’s about being who I am. Sometimes that means going low. Other times it means being bold. But it is always rooted in my confidence in Him.

Jesus had some pretty great things to say about John the Baptist. But many forget what he says about us in the new covenant:

“Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” Matthew 11:11

John was the last and greatest of the old covenant prophets. He had the honor to be the final forerunner of the coming of the Bridegroom. He was a pretty big deal.

But Christ says the LEAST in the Kingdom is greater than he.

I don’t think he was talking about value or honor. I believe He was talking about authority and glory.

The Hope of Glory

Yesterday as we studied Romans in my home fellowship group, my friend Andy said this: “Do you realize that the God of creation, the Spirit that hovered above the waters, the Word that spoke all things into existence lives IN you?”

I had to let that one sink in.

As much as we praise and honor the men and women of the Old Testament and we imagine what life was like to experience God the way they did, it’s easy to forget that they longed for what we experience.

Paul says in Colossians 1 that there has been this mystery hidden for ages and generations that is now finally revealed. He says that this revelation is the full realization of the word of God. This is the revelation:

“Christ in you, the hope of glory”

This is our identity. This is our destiny.

When we really know who we are as sons and daughters, we don’t have to make less of this glorious truth. Many times when people say they must decrease, it’s really just false humility anyways.

We are awesome by proxy. Not because of anything we’ve done but because Who now dwells inside of us.

Humility is the foundation that keeps this all in perspective. It’s never about pointing to us, humility always points to Jesus.

So with that understanding, I was finally able to sing it out.

“More of you means more of me. More of you means the real me. More of you, more of you, Jesus!”

What do you think? Are we really to decrease?
What do you think it means that the least in the Kingdom is greater than John?

What is cool is to see how each couple decides to plan their wedding. Some are very informal (like we did) and others are quite traditional. One of the most interesting weddings I went to years back was when one of my best friends married a Greek Orthodox. It was a very traditional wedding in every sense of the word.

Wedding traditions can be something of an enigma, especially to guys. As Katie and I were planning our wedding, I began to look at the origin of some of these traditions.

All cultures have different traditions on when the wedding starts, what is worn, the type of ceremony, food and music.

One of the most consistent components of a wedding in all traditions is the veil.

The veil is a face covering, symbolic of purity and virginity. If the bride is a virgin, she often wears the face veil through the ceremony and then either her father lifts the veil, presenting the bride to her groom, or the groom lifts the veil to symbolically consummate the marriage covenant.

She Has The Glow

One of the most fascinating things I’ve noticed is the glow of the bride. This was particularly obvious at a recent wedding of a friend. She wore a veil through to the presentation and when the veil was lifted, she was ablaze with love.

As she looked into the eyes of her bridegroom, the glory of their love was revealed.

Brides literally have a glow about them during and after the wedding. Radiant is a perfect adjective that is often used to describe this phenomenon.

Even after the wedding, the glow is present. It is most easily noticed when you know the person well. The next time I’ve seen a bride after her wedding, she even looks different.

It is a glorious glow. Sometimes it last only for a few weeks, but it’s always there.

Removing The Veil

This phenomenon of glory is beautifully explained in 2 Corinthians 3. Paul describes the glory of the old covenant and how Moses needed a veil because it was too much for him to bear.

He goes on to describe how the glory of the new covenant far exceeds the old and not only that, it is a permanent glory that never fades.

What’s even more amazing is that Christ has taken the veil away. As our bridegroom, we are able to look directly into the eyes of love.

Right in the middle of all of this, Paul drops this line in:

“Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
2 Corinthians 3:17 

In the middle of this marriage ceremony where Christ unveils His bride, the Holy Spirit comes in and releases freedom.

Paul was just describing how this new covenant was much more glorious than the old. All the rules and regulations were created with glory but now we have something so much better. Something that we don’t even need to veil our faces from.

Look Into The Eyes of Love

Everyone’s favorite moment of the wedding is when the minister says, “you may now kiss the bride”. It is the consummation of the ceremony. The kiss is the seal.

A little earlier in Corinthians, Paul says that God has put His seal on us and given us His Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee (2 Corinthians 1:21-22). The Holy Spirit comes and puts the stamp of approval and guarantee on our new covenant. He seals it with a declaration of freedom!

This is what happens when our face is unveiled:

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is Spirit”
2 Corinthians 3:18

As we look into the eyes of love, we become what behold.

Just as my friend radiated with love as her veil was lifted at her wedding, we also radiate the love of Jesus. But it is a glow that doesn’t fade away. It is a permanent glory. In fact, it continues to go from one degree of glory to another.

This is all done by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is why Jesus said it was good that He leaves so He could send us the Spirit. This is why it is critical to cultivate our relationship with Holy Spirit.

When we are no longer being transformed, maybe the question we should ask ourselves is:

What are my eyes fixed on?

My pastor is very much a visionary. His aim is to empower everyone on our team to excel in their area of gifting. He comes in to cast vision and provide overall guidance but he’s not a mirco manager and he extends a lot of freedom. Much more freedom than I’m used to.

This is a stark contrast to what I’ve seen in management. My managers were there to provide stability, structure and facilitate the status quo. I know all about policies, procedures and formal processes. My managed environments were safe, full of rules and they thrived when risk was minimized.

But this all got me thinking about the Holy Spirit’s role in my life. Is He a manager or a leader?

Management vs Leadership

This may sound overly simplistic but the first time I heard this it came to me as a revelation.

Managers manage. Leaders lead.

Having a good understanding of these two concepts has begun to revolutionize my relationship with Holy Spirit. Here are a few fundamental differences between the two:

• Leaders promote change. Managers create stability.*
• Leaders facilitate. Managers control.
• Leaders appeal to the heart. Managers appeal to the head.
• Leaders are concerned with what is right. Managers are concerned with being right.

This short list brings so much insight into how I’ve always related to the third Person of the trinity.

I’ve liked management. I’ve been exposed to it my entire life. It’s comfortable and stable. I don’t always like control but I’ve been taught that it is necessary to keep things safe.

Leadership on the other hand can feel scary. I don’t like change. I like to be told exactly what to do so I can always be sure of where I stand. Freedom can be intimidating.

So it begs the question, “What does a management mindset create in a believer?”

Sin Management

My whole life I’ve tried to manage my sin. I subscribed to the gospel of behavior modification. The way I studied the Bible was in an attempt to find out what I could and couldn’t do.

Rather than reading the Bible as a story, I read it as a User’s Manual. When I first heard the acronym for the Bible, I thought it was genius. You know the one:

B.asic
I.nstructions
B.efore
L.eaving
E.arth

But reading the Bible as a manual is contrary to it’s contents. It tells the story of creation, the dispensing of the law, the redemption of mankind and the fulfillment of the law. It’s a story of a God that does everything for the creation He loves. Even dying for them.

So we’re left with a love story that points to this Good News that many of us never fully grasp. And so we look to what we know: management.

We know that sin is wrong. So the more we know about sin, the more we can control it. We think that with more protection there will be less exposure. The problem is that all our efforts can never keep sin managed.

But there is a better way.

Holy Spirit Leadership

Throughout the Bible we see God leading men, not managing them. He constantly appeals to hearts. Sin is just a byproduct of the real issue at hand; our love for God.

A true leader is after hearts, not compliance. A true leader knows that willful obedience can only be sustained when hearts are in alignment.

Romans 8:14 says “all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” Then in Galatians 5:18 it says “if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law“. Sons and daughters are not managed with a list of rules. They are led with freedom within boundaries.

We no longer need to use the law to manage our sin. We simply need to receive His Spirit. Under Holy Spirit’s leadership, we will thrive in freedom.

Management is stagnant. Leadership is fluid. Management is a lake. Leadership is a river.

Jesus himself said that whoever believes in Him will have rivers of living water flowing out of his heart (John 7:38).

Have you tried to manage your sin?
What does it mean to you to be led by the Spirit? 

*For a more comprehensive list of differences, check out this post called Leadership vs Management.

He was a perfectionist in every sense of the word. Every shelf had to be stocked fully and perfectly. He was quick to point out the smallest flaws and he regularly did so in front of others. I’m pretty good at not making mistakes once I learn something, but there were more than a few times that he berated me in front of employees and even customers.

The thing is that as soon as you were off the clock, he was the nicest guy in the world. I remember one day we got out early and he invited me and a few others to shoot pool in the pub next door.

He bought me a burger and chatted me up. But I couldn’t reconcile the two sides of him. One minute he was the meat dictator and the next he wanted to be best buds over burgers.

I couldn’t do it so I just started making excuses any time he wanted to do something out of work. I knew that if he was a jerk to me at work, he really couldn’t be that different anywhere else.

Conviction of the Holy Spirit

It’s been hard for me to picture the Holy Spirit as anything other than the sin police. All my life I was taught that Holy Spirit brings conviction of sin. In my mind I pictured this ethereal spirit floating over my shoulder, watching me steal a magazine from work (yeah I did it, don’t judge me!).

I know that He does other nice things like comfort and teach but honestly I’ve had a hard time reconciling that with the sin cop. In my mind, He was there making sure everything was in order and just waiting to convict me as soon as I made a mistake.

But what if Holy Spirit doesn’t convict us of sin? What if we’ve misunderstood Him all this time?

There are two key verses that are referred to when it comes to the subject of Holy Spirit’s conviction of sin. The first one is John 16:8-9:

“And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me”

The other one is in 1 Thessalonians 1:5:

“our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction”

But wait a minute, convict and conviction are two totally different words. The verb convict means to prove or declare guilty of an offense or to impress with a sense of guilt.

The context of the noun conviction in Thessalonians is more accurately translated “assurance”. That’s a big difference. It’s not a verse you want to hang your hat on.

Stop Feeling Guilty

When I looked at this for myself I’ll be honest, I didn’t believe it. How could so many people be wrong? My whole life I’ve been taught that Holy Spirit brings conviction when I sin.

Looking at John 16 again, I see that He does bring conviction; just not for me. Holy Spirit convicts (or declares guilty) the world. Why? Because of unbelief.

Okay, I’m a believer. So why do I still feel guilty?

One of the heaviest and complex chapters of the Bible is James 2. My whole life I’ve wrestled with this chapter. Even as I feel I’m getting more of a grasp on it, I know that I will continue to get more revelation as the years pass.

James is dealing with a couple of issues but this stands out to me in verses 8-10:

“If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.”

So what’s happening here is that believers are switching back into striving mode. Any time we try to keep any part of the law for the sake of the law, we are responsible for keeping ALL of it.

The minute we fall short, the law convicts us as transgressors. In other words, the law is the source of our guilt.

Paul makes such a big deal about us not being under the law through his writing because as soon as we try to live by it, we die by it. The good news is that it has already been fulfilled through Jesus and since we are in Jesus, we don’t have to try to do what He already accomplished.

One of the most quoted verses in the Bible is Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”. Another word for condemnation is punishment. Think about that. If there is no condemnation, Holy Spirit isn’t declaring us guilty (convicting) of anything.

Now look at what Holy Spirit really does in the next verse.

“For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”

Holy Spirit brings freedom to those in Christ, not conviction. When you are free from sin and you continue to sin, it’s going to feel weird. Like putting on an old pair of shoes that you grew out of. Maybe what you feel isn’t guilt but a realization that your actions don’t match your identity.

When we change our mind about who we are, we’ll change our mind about what we do. When we change our mind about who Holy Spirit is to us, we’ll change our mind about what He does through us.

What have you believed about the conviction of the Holy Spirit?

In some stories the uncle is crazy and obnoxious. Other stories paint the picture of the drunk uncle that sits by the bar, mumbling unintelligibly to anyone in earshot.

In all cases, the uncle is reluctantly invited while hoping he won’t come to the event. Sometimes he shows up and makes a scene that everyone tries to handle quickly and efficiently. Other times he sits quietly in the corner. But like it or not, he’s family so he’s invited.

Here Comes Uncle H!

More often than not, I’ve seen Holy Spirit treated like the drunk uncle in a family reunion. Nobody really gets Him and nobody knows what will set Him off so they ignore Him or avoid Him. When He does come around, everyone is quick to explain His behavior as best they can.

One day I heard a friend refer to Holy Spirit as Uncle H. When she explained the reference to the drunk uncle, I laughed out loud. But giving it more thought, I knew she was on to something.

“the” Holy Spirit

I’ve been intentional in growing my relationship with Holy Spirit and so I’ve been praying directly to Him more often. My whole life I’ve prayed to Jesus and to God; very rarely (if ever) to Holy Spirit.

I’ve often referred to Him as “the” Holy Spirit. I’ve also referred to Him as an “it”. Like He’s some kind of mystical, nebulous force that swirls around for awhile and then floats away.

Using the definite article “the,” just affirmed my distance in interacting with Him. I realized I don’t refer to “the” God or “the” Jesus but I had no problem referring to “the” Holy Spirit. Since then I’ve changed the way I address Him and it feels much more personal. He went from an “it” to a Person.

What’s The Big Deal?

The more time I spend studying my identity in Christ, the more I realize how critical it is that I have a right relationship with Holy Spirit. Jesus said that it was good that He would leave so that Holy Spirit would come to us (John 16:7). He’s the driving force behind the “spirit of adoption” and the “spirit of sonship”. If I don’t understand who He is and my access to Him, I’m going to revert to striving in my own strength.

I don’t know about you but I’m tired of being a hamster on a wheel with my understanding of this truth.

In the next few posts, I’m going to dig deeper into our relationship with Holy Spirit. I’m going to look at what it means to “walk in the spirit,” debunk some myths about the “conviction” of Holy Spirit and dig into my favorite chapter in the entire Bible (Romans 8).

If you’ve had your own questions about Holy Spirit’s work in our lives, I invite you to join me for this series. Let’s ask questions and seek them out from the One, who was left here to give us the answers.

Be honest, have you ever thought of Holy Spirit as the drunk uncle in the church?
How do you perceive Holy Spirit in your life? (I’m not talking about theologically, I mean experientially)