I read something the other morning
that ties into our Walk With God. Here is what got me thinking:
Our Lord did not cut Himself off from society, but He was inwardly disconnected all the time. He was not aloof, but He lived in another world. He never allowed anything to interfere with His consecration [solemn dedication] of spiritual energy.
Paul hit this same theme in his letter to the Galatians:
Gal 6:14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
What was interesting is that Paul used the “past tense” in this statement… has been; a completed act. The conscious idea of storing up spiritual power for later use is a big mistake. This “looking forward” for opportunities to use our spiritual energy in some “work” for the Lord prevents us from enjoying His fullness in our life. Its like fresh water entering the Dead Sea. Had it been appropriately used along the way it would never have been wasted in a sea of deadness.
Jesus led a life in which He was constantly connected with the Holy Spirit. He is our example of how to live in the world but not be of the world. That’s why His prayer for us underlines that fact:
John 17:15-17 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
We are to be disconnected from the world in a fundamental way but not in an external way. We are here for the purpose of glorifying God. That is what our sanctification is all about. Our challenge is to never let anything interfere with our spiritual energy. We are to make a commitment to only be interested in what God is interested in, allowing the Holy Spirit to use our spiritual energy when and where He wills.
When we are faced with an opportunity to use our spiritual energy we must ask ourselves a key question. Is this something that Jesus is interested in, or is it something that I am interested in?
Our spiritual energy is “renewable energy.” It’s supply is endless, as Paul noted to the Ephesians:
Eph 5:18 … but be filled with the Spirit
In the Greek that reads… be being filled. It is an ongoing process that will continue for our entire life here on earth. The more we give out of the Spirit in alignment with what He is interested in, the more we will be refilled for further opportunities of glorifying God. The only thing that can interrupt that is when we become focused on our own interests. When we decide to determine what Jesus is interested in instead of listening to His Spirit.
Spiritual energy is renewable. Let’s not waste it!