Suffering from the pressure to perform?

Sometimes there can a pressure we put on ourselves to operate in the power of the Spirit. It is always useful to remember the torch analogy. A torch is designed to bring light into the darkness, but if its batteries are flat it can’t function. In the same way we bring light into the darkness in this world. Before we were saved our spiritual batteries were flat because we were spiritually dead. When we receive the Spirit of God we receive basically two forms of His power, just like the two batteries. The two batteries represent the fruit of the Spirit and the Power of the Spirit.

The good news is the charged up batteries are God’s part. It is his fruit and his power through the Holy Spirit that enters our life. We can take the pressure off. He does the work in and through us. This is a relief because we simply then need to connect to this power that is available to us, rather than ‘making it happen’.

Well hang on, how come I don’t see it working that simply?

The part which belongs to us is repentance. Another way of putting this would be dying to yourself and turning to him. In the analogy of fruit it is true that for fruit to grow something must die, the seed. John 12:24 “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies it remains alone, but if it dies it produces much grain.”

As we continue to hunger for the Holy Spirit a good question in your life is what needs to die in order to gain access to the fullness of the work God wants to do.  Scripture points to turning from a self-centred life being key to entering the fullness of life he wants for us (Matt 20:26-28). In other words we turn our back on our own selfish interests and turn our mind to God. This is what it means to repent – to change our mind toward him.

In truth the job of continuing to walk in that state is one with challenges and you will need his grace but as we continue to walk in co-operation with him, it is his job to power our life and give us the strength to operate in power and in the fruit of the Spirit.

So the pressure is off – you don’t have to make anything happen, simply turn from the old ways to Him.