Living in the Spirit
May 22, 2016
Scripture Reading: John 16:12-15
14He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. —John 16:14-15
The Greek word translated as “glorify” here means:
“Glorifying (1392 /doksázō) God” means valuing Him for who He really is. For example, “giving (ascribing) glory to God” personally acknowledges God in His true character (essence). *
The Holy Spirit comes to help us further understand who Jesus really was and is, and to continually remind us of God’s true character. This is important because I believe I, and my guess is I am not too different from the rest of you, spend a lot of time defining God in my own image, creating a lesser god that thinks like me. One of the Holy Spirit’s jobs is to diligently remind us that it is the other way around. We are charged to have the character of God as was exemplified for us in the person of Jesus.
Most of my life I have been told I look like one of my father’s sisters. As I have aged and my hair turned white resulting in my eyes appearing to be more hazel in color than brown, many people tell me I look like my mother who had pure blue eyes. These two ladies are not related to each other biologically at all. My character is probably more like my mother’s, more introverted than extroverted for example. I must say it is a compliment to be likened to both of these women. Their influence on my life has helped shape who I am.
We need to allow the Holy Spirit to shape who we are and who we are becoming. We exist for a purpose. I believe the world would be one puzzle-piece incomplete without the gifts we each bring, if we do not develop them and send them forth into the world.
Prayer: Lord, as the Holy Spirit’s winds ad fires swirl into my consciousness open my heart and mind to take on the essence the Spirit is sharing with me. Amen.
*Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance see at http://biblehub.com/greek/1392.htm
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.