Have you ever had some preconceived ideas about an individual only to discover when you actually met that person and got to know them that your ideas were completely wrong? We’ve all had that happen. I once took as gospel Mr. A’s opinion of Mr. X and was hesitant to be around Mr. X. But, after just a few minutes of being with Mr. X, I found that my preconceived ideas were so, so wrong. In fact, I found the opposite to be true. It was a pure joy to be with this person. Then, a relationship began that is still going strong!
I don’t know what religious circles that you’ve associated with but there are folks out there who have some really weird, wacky ideas about the Holy Spirit. In fact, if I were to honor their ideology and opinions, I’d run from the Holy Spirit as fast as my fat little legs could carry me. But oh, if only they could spend just a short amount of time with the Holy Spirit that I know, they wouldn’t be running from Him but rather to Him.
In reading John 14-16, we find that while sitting around the table after eating a meal that we call the Last Supper (this shows that Jesus was from the South otherwise it would be called the Last Dinner) Jesus introduced the Holy Spirit to His disciples. The Holy Spirit wasn’t Someone that Jesus casually knew or heard about. I won’t take the time or space to elaborate about their relationship but will suffice it to say that from Genesis 1 onward throughout the Scriptures we see Jesus and the Holy Spirit working side-by-side. So, when Jesus told His disciples about the Holy Spirit, it was rock-solid, factual, I-know-Him knowledge. No hearsay or third-hand information was being shared about the Person that He wanted His followers to intimately know.
My question for you today is, how do you know the Holy Spirit? Have you gained your knowledge from a person or a book or movie? Is your opinion of the Holy Spirit based upon someone else’s dealings or supposed dealings with the Holy Spirit? I suggest that you connect with Him directly. Like the example shared earlier, you might find that the Holy Spirit is so different from the tainted opinion given by someone who in all probability has never actually met the Holy Spirit. Spend time with the Holy Spirit. Talk to Him. Listen to Him. You’ll soon be regretting the time that you had without His companionship. Go ahead and start the conversation. He’s waiting.
