Maneuvers - No. 31
More Than
Your Guide
Have you ever had an amazing coach? A mentor you really respected? Someone you learned so much from, who changed your life?
Good mentors leave a permanent mark on your heart. They’re the people whose words run through your mind when you’re facing a setback or trying to bounce back from a failure.
But there’s one drawback to these earthly mentors… they can only inspire you and teach you. They can’t transfer to you the knowledge, habits, and character they’ve developed over the years that’s made them so great at what they do. The best they can do is show you the path to develop those characteristics yourself.
That’s where Holy Spirit is different.
Yes, he teaches us, inspires us, trains us, reminds us of all truth. But he does more than that… He lives in us. His goodness, love, character, kindness, and perseverance dwell within us.
Let that sink in for a moment, friend.
Do you long to experience that kind of relationship with Holy Spirit? A oneness that is so real, so authentic, that his thoughts effortlessly lead your heart and his love seamlessly flows through your words and actions?
Yes, we want that, too.
There’s so much more to discover in our relationship with Jesus. Will you join us in going deeper and unearthing that “more” with our heavenly Father? If so, we invite you to open your heart, quiet your mind, and receive…
01.
The Message
“I see you, how you want to gather close to me. I love that you’re here. I love that you want to listen. I love that you want to watch. I love that you want to study me, notice how I do things and wonder about why I do them. I love that you want an open heart.
“How close will you let me get to you? How close do you want to be with me? Do you want to keep your distance? Does it feel safer that way, less involved and complicated? What do you gain by being aloof? What do you gain by keeping separate from me?
“Will you come with me today while I walk down this road, listen for the hurting, bend down and lift this head? Will you notice how I do not tire and how I am wisdom? How I know what is needed and how people are in pain and the hungry cry out for more than food?
“My capacity is not your capacity. And you can trust that you're only limited in your life by how much capacity you think I have to love you. For my love for you fuels your capacity to do all things—all things good and right and pure and true. What I have for you to do begins with practicing my way of seeing, responding to the cries of this world.
“I hear your cry. I know your heart. I respond to you and give you strength, and through what I give you, you have capacity to love others, as I love them. So receive my love and don’t stop there. Be desperate for it. Be hungry for it. Let my love fuel you so there is no tiring of your devotion to me. Make this devotion mutual—my love in you and for you making you love me and love others.
“Love like I love you. It does not require the effort you think it does. It is an effort that comes from the deep place of connection with me. So be connected. Stay close. Don’t watch me from afar. Be my disciple, my friend, my brother, my sister. Be my companion. Let me be your everything. Experience me as more than your guide.”
02.
Listen
Listen again to that last sentence: “Experience me as more than your guide.”
Take a moment to reflect on that invitation. Then, let’s write out our response to Holy Spirit in our journals.
03.
Think
“We are able to hold our heads high no matter what happens and know all is well, for we know how dearly God loves us, and we feel this warm love everywhere within us because God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love” (Romans 5:5, TLB).
1. Where do you feel limited in your capacity to love others? What aspects of following Jesus seem difficult to you right now?
2. If you were able to see, even for just a moment, how deeply and completely Jesus loves you, how would that change the way you love others? How would it change what you feel? Take your time with this question. Let Holy Spirit envision you for the lifestyle of love he has in store for you.
04.
Trust
It’s one thing to know we have full access to Holy Spirit. It’s another thing to truly believe it.
What we believe dictates how we think, talk, and behave. If we’re struggling to love others, it’s not because we’re simply bad people. (The Bible tells us we have Christ’s righteousness.) It’s because we’re struggling to believe truth about ourselves and about God.
When we’re struggling to believe truth, we’ve found it helps to say that truth aloud. Romans 10:9 tells us that faith doesn’t just take place in our hearts—it’s revealed in our words as well.
So today, we encourage you to declare truth about who you are and God’s love for you. Will you join us in reading aloud the verses and declarations below?
Before we begin, let’s find a place where we can be alone and feel comfortable speaking out loud. Now, let’s close our eyes… and breathe… again… Allow a holy resolve to rise in your heart as you speak these words:
“Long ago, before he made the world, God chose us to be his very own through what Christ would do for us; he decided then to make us holy in his eyes, without a single fault—we who stand before him covered in his love” (Ephesians 1:4, TLB).
I am dearly loved. God chose me before he even created the foundations of the earth. I was made to be holy in him. It’s who I am, right now.
“As you know him better, he will give you, through his great power, everything you need for living a truly good life: he even shares his own glory and his own goodness with us!” (2 Peter 1:3, TLB).
God has already given me everything I need to love like he loves. I have full access to him, his glory, and his power at all times, and nothing is allowed to limit that access.
“In that day you will know that I [Jesus] am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you” (John 14:20, ESV).
Jesus is in me and I am in Jesus. Nothing can separate us. Nothing can interrupt our oneness together. And he is enough for me.
“See how great a love the Father has given us, that we would be called children of God; and in fact we are” (1 John 3:1a, NASB).
God loved me so much that he adopted me as his own. I am his son, his daughter. His love for me is infinite.
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we ask or imagine, according to the power that works in us…” (Ephesians 3:20, MEV).
There’s nothing too hard for Jesus. He can do anything—in me, in my life, in my heart. His power is already working in me!
How do you feel, friend, declaring these truths aloud? Notice the difference it makes in your heart, how it affects your thoughts and attitudes. And now, let’s pray…
05.
Pray
Father, thank you for loving me, not just a little, but more than I could imagine. Thank you for choosing me to be your son, your daughter, your “holy one.”
Thank you for giving me Holy Spirit to live in me and for granting me full access to his glory and strength. I have everything I need in you. More than enough to love, to give, to serve, to be bold and take risks.
You’re more than my guide, Holy Spirit. You’re my friend and my constant companion. When I hear you speak, it does more than just inspire me. It changes me.
I love you more than I can say with words. Will you rest with me here, in this mutual love of ours? I give you all the glory and all my praise.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Waving the banner with you,
