Avoid These Holy Cows

You see, God did not give us a cowardly spirit but a powerful, loving, and disciplined spirit. 2 Timothy 1:7 (VOICE)

Many of us have what I like to call holy cows—man-made, religious beliefs that are limiting us and what God wants to do in our lives. Over the next few days, we’re going to shoot a few of these holy cows by comparing them to God’s Word to see if they hold true.

One of these misbeliefs involves a preconceived notion about what it means to be led by Holy Spirit. Some people shy away from Holy Spirit because they’ve watched TV evangelists who didn’t seem authentic or they’ve met Christians who engaged in some pretty crazy-looking behaviour they attributed to Holy Spirit’s leading. As a result, they stay away from Holy Spirit because they think He’ll make them look strange or crazy. And I really can’t blame them for feeling this way.

The truth is that Holy Spirit doesn’t make people act strangely or more out-of-control. In fact, our verse today says that He gives us more self-control! He doesn’t force people to make a scene or ignore social cues. He won’t require you to throw away your credibility. In fact, He wants you to use the reputation you’ve built and the influence you have!

You can let Holy Spirit lead and gain the respect of others. This sums up what I like to call being Spirit Contemporary. It’s about being powerfully led by Holy Spirit as you build relationships with the people around you.

If you’ve stayed away from being led by Holy Spirit, be open to being guided by Him today. As you go about your day, be sensitive to letting Him bring your attention to the people He wants you to talk to or show love to.