Are We Afraid of the Holy Spirit?

 Quick answer, yes, we are. Now to the long answer, with some detours.

My granddaughter, like most toddlers, loves “Miss Rachel.” Miss Rachel (or Ms. Rachel) is a 43-year-old former music educator who started a You-Tube channel with songs, activities, and lessons for toddlers and pre-schoolers. Although my granddaughter also has an obsession for trains (choochoos) and dogs and Bear in the Big Blue House (whom I enjoy), Ms/Miss Rachel is the go to.

Although she has been criticized for some gender activism and wanting to help children in Gaza (discussed below), she seems on the videos we watch to be positive, educationally sound, and kind, all things we would want for toddlers. The programs do not have that “here’s something under the radar for adults” feel that Sesame Street sometimes does, nor does it lean toward urban settings like SS. Most children don’t live in tenements with trashcans out front. Miss Rachel shows short videos of all kinds of children AND their parents (thank you); she also has captions that talk about milestones in the children’s development, such as “at 15 months, the child should be able to ….” Wikipedia states that her own son had speech delay, and one of her staff is a speech pathologist. I noticed there is a good bit of “look at my mouth and how I say this” activity.

So, yes, I’m a fan of the lady in the pink t-shirt and blue overalls. My granddaughter has a Ms. Rachel doll that has buttons in her hands you can push for a “message.” And one of them is interesting.

“You can do hard things.”

When I am watching my granddaughter, as I do on Mondays right now, it’s like a course in child development. Of course, I think she is the smartest child in the world, and she is bright, but what is more important is that her brain in working and developing and making neural connections and it’s fascinating to watch. I used to be more interventionist but now sometimes I sit on the couch and just facilitate her play—as well as servant and guardian. Sometimes she will want to do something like put a too-big object into a bag or box, and I have to stop myself from jumping to help her. She will try over and over, and whine in her particular way.

I need to remind her, “You can do hard things.”

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Those of us in the East had some hellacious heat this week. My almost fifteen-year-old dog Nala, who has cardiomyopathy and is in the dying process, has suffered more than we, and we thought she was at the end. No, she was in the heat too long. Being kept in the shade and air conditioning for two days seemed to get her verve back and her appetite. For me, I still need to walk to labrador mix. I don’t want to. I don’t want to be drenched after 40 minutes.

I can do hard things.

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Yes, we can. But it depends on what the hard things are. We can’t do impossible things.

Hebrews says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God, for he(she) who comes to God must believe that He is and is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Some things are not possible. Mark 10:23-27: And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.’”

He said to them, “Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:19-20)

Faith in general does not make the impossible possible. That formula is bounded by Scripture. Pleasing God is impossible without faith—in the object of faith. Getting past our dependence on money and power is impossible without faith in a God for whom that is not the point or sign of approval (apparently the disciples thought it was).

I just published a book entitled Enter His Rest: A Biblical Response to Anxiety and Stress. The whole point of the book is to stop striving to impress God and everyone else with all the “stuff” we do that is not from faith and grace and that makes us stressed and anxious. I can’t tell you what that is. That has to be your choice, but I do know a lot of people are stuck there.

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So what does this have to do with being afraid of the Holy Spirit? Jesus said He would send the Holy Spirit to indwell, guide, teach, empower, encourage, help, be beside us, in His absence. Yet how much do we talk about the Holy Spirit? How many sermons have you heard on the Holy Spirit? Do you call the Holy Spirit “it” or “He” or nothing because the Holy Spirit is not in your vocabulary?

Why is that?

Could it be fear? Of charismatics? Of excesses? Of lack of control? Of weird behavior?

The Holy Spirit tell us we can do hard things, impossible things, if we are not afraid of Him and let Him have His place in our lives.

More to come.