Supernatural Outcomes: How to stop living with limited strength and access the power of the Holy Spirit.
Are you exhausted? Have you been spinning your wheels tirelessly? Do you believe that if you do more you can be more and then all will be well? Do you have a relationship you’ve been trying to “fix”? Is there someone in your life you’ve made your special project?
I’ve been walking through a season where I have experienced a new level of exhaustion. It is an exhaustion that is not because of a packed schedule and busyness. But it is an exhaustion that has been compounded by lack of great sleep from emotional and mental strain.
Let me ask you, has your car ever died on you in the middle of an intersection? Or in a drive thru? Well, mine has! And I can tell you, that I know what it feels like to be without power.
When I was sixteen I experienced what living without power felt like. Living without power in the middle of an intersection at rush hour when I was
A car that is topped off with good oil and a fresh tank of gas is useless without a charged battery. Life is no different. I can have the job, the degree, the accolades and accomplishments. But without a power source, my life- and all the accomplishments, is useless.
I have been worn and exhausted because of trying to fix, mend and repair broken parts of my life. On my own. And in my own strength. Let’s be real, I have been a believer for as long as I can remember, surely I have learned a thing or two, and can handle things without the Holy Spirit, right?
Funny. I have tried. I have tried to rely on behavior modification and will power to “behave” in an expected way. There have been many family dynamics that have changed in my life over the last four years. The loss of my brother and mom has shifted relationships with those closest to me.
My grief has produced some behavior that was not “typical” of me and exposed parts of my heart that are not so pretty. And at times that has scared me. Words have poured out of my mouth in anger that I didn’t even know I was feeling, when something small and inconsequential set me off. My behavior has looked like…
- Scream crying in anger…yep, that was cute.
- Withholding love because of fear of losing someone else.
- Playing relationship intercessor – trying to smooth over everyone else’s feelings.
- Focusing on mistakes (all the coulda, shoulda, wouldas with my mom and Zach).
- Fearful of forgetting, clinging tight to memorializing dates, holding on to possessions.
My sweet friend, Sara, introduced me to a book recently about the Holy Spirit, called, Don’t Miss Out by Jeanie Cunnion. In the book, Jeanie plainly articulates a formulaic spiritual solution to the mental, physical and emotional exhaustion I faced.
Jeanie wrote, “Supernatural Outcomes= Our willingness + Holy Spirit Power”.
That’s it. It’s that simple and that is what I needed. I needed a solution in my life, and an outcome that was supernatural. I had relied for too long on the natural, self-propelled power. It was time for a supernatural overhaul.
I have access to the Holy Spirit’s power, because I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior.
But have access to the power. Just like my car had the battery. But I was not allowing the power of the Holy Spirit to guide my life.
I don’t know if you can relate to this, but those moments in my life – where I acted in a way I know I should “know better” or “do better” – shame crept in. And the shame, if I let it, took me down a path of behavior modification, or will power to do better and be better next time.
Instead, if I willingly plug into the Holy Spirit, there will be a supernatural outcome.
I have seen the supernatural take place in my life. Because the…
- Scream crying in anger has turned to compassion and gentleness.
- Withholding love has turned to drawing close.
- Playing intercessor has turned to freedom from responsibility for others relationships.
- Focusing on mistakes has turned to celebrating the beautiful memories and gratitude that God is using our story to change lives.
- Fearful of forgetting has turned to trusting the Holy Spirit to remind me.
Like a lamp that is not plugged into the outlet, its power source is the same as a believer who is not accessing the power of the Holy Spirit. We can’t see electricity but we know when it’s not working. We can also know when we aren’t plugged into the Holy Spirit. Often we choose to sit in the dark, not accessing, the power of the Spirit
There are many things in this life that we are not able to overcome or go through without the supernatural power of the Spirit, and our own willingness to join together with the Spirit.
I needed and wanted an outcome that would put to death the desire to hold it all together myself, and help me walk with a transformed mind, heart and desires. But how?
What does it look like to plug into the Holy Spirit and experience supernatural outcomes in our lives?
First things first, it starts with belief.
Believe that when we have received Jesus, we gain the Holy Spirit.
John 16:7 says, “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.”
Believe the Helper has come. Jesus sent Him for us. Believe. Then Follow.
Galatians 5:16-26 says,
“But I say, WALK by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are LED by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep IN STEP with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”
WALK. LED. IN STEP. These words remind us that our relationship to and with the Holy Spirit requires active participation. We need to get onboard with what the Spirit of God is doing. And not expect Him to get on board with what we are doing. We need to walk, be led and be in step with Him.
As we consider what it looks like to walk in step and to be led by the Spirit, let’s consider how Anne Graham Lotz in her book, Jesus in Me describes life without the Spirit.
- Life without the Spirit
- Weakness
- Fearfulness
- Timidity
- Impulsiveness
- Foolishness
- Patterns of failure
And then she describes life with the spirit – PLUG LAMP IN – this is our willingness
- Life with the Spirit
- Strength
- Courage
- boldness
- Self control
- Wisdom
- Resounding eternal success
Therefore, when we choose to live plugged into the power of the Holy Spirit we can experience a divine exchange!
- Weakness to strength
- Fearfulness to courage
- Timidity to boldness
- Impulsiveness to self-control
- Foolishness to wisdom
- Patterns of failure to resounding eternal success
Are you also exhausted from living on your own strength? Do you realize what you have access to through the Holy Spirit? Are you needing a supernatural outcome in your life?
Remember this equation from Jeanie Cunnion’s book, Don’t Miss Out:
Supernatural outcomes = our willingness + the Holy Spirit’s power
Maybe you’ve been sitting in the dark – having access to the spirit – but choosing not to plug in to Him. You have access to all of Him – does he have access to all of you?
Maybe you’ve been trying to walk in sobriety without Him- through your own strength.
Maybe you’ve been trying to heal relationships on your own without Him.
Today are you willing to plug in to the Spirit and let the Spirit give you supernatural outcomes:
When you walk in step with the Holy Spirit you will experience ….
- Strength
- Courage
- Boldness
- Self control
- Wisdom
- Resounding eternal success
This is my prayer for us all! That we would no longer live bound by our own failures and limited strength. But that we would wholly embrace the power of the Spirit of God available to us.
If you have been blessed by the content of the blogs and/or podcasts, would you consider sharing the message of hope with your circle of influence. God is moving and I want as many as possible to know Him! Let’s spread the good news of the Gospel together!
Click here for this week’s podcast link!
Click here for this week’s podcast handout.
Recent Comments