Discovery Pathway Classes - Baptism and Spirit-Filled LivingSample

And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

1 John 5:15

Living a life directed by the Holy Spirit requires both faith and surrender. The two go hand in hand.

Faith is the more familiar word. Faith means that we believe something is true and choose to live accordingly. For example, if you have faith that a seatbelt will help you survive a car accident, you will wear your seatbelt.

Surrender is a little different, though. Surrender means to give up control. An example of this is when you hand the keys of your car to another person and get in the passenger seat. You have given up control. You no longer control the speed, direction, or even the windshield wipers! When you surrender to the Holy Spirit, you choose to give him the driver’s seat of your life.

This is not easy for many of us. We like control. We like to be in control. However, in the case of the Holy Spirit, the disciples were not in control. Their part was to have faith, wait, and pray. The rest was up to God. As the house was filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit, it was very clear who was in control. The disciples could have gone out and tried to accomplish the mission of Jesus without the Holy Spirit. They could have made excuses about urgent needs, the busyness of life, or their lack of patience. They could have taken control of their own lives, but they didn’t. They chose to give up control.

They waited with faith in the words of Jesus. As they surrendered control of their lives, the Holy Spirit came and took the driver’s seat. He empowered them to do things they could never do on their own. If they had moved on, they would have missed the opportunity to have the Holy Spirit of God empower them for the life ahead.

To further explore this idea of surrendering control of your life to the Holy Spirit, read the devotional booklet called “My Heart, Christ’s Home.” This short story by Robert Boyd Munger describes what complete surrender looks like. In the story, Jesus is a guest in the home of a person’s life. This short story is available for purchase or can be found easily online. Before you read the scripture passages today, pause and invite the Holy Spirit to join you in your time. Ask the Holy Spirit to say anything he wants to say to you today. Sit and listen. Before you finish, thank the Holy Spirit for his role in your life. Invite him to take the driver’s seat of your life today.