Times That Could be Seen as a Waste of Time

I writing this from a hotel in Syracuse, Nebraska. Like some of the other towns in Nebraska I’ve been to, the gas station is the go to spot; every morning the farmers are in there drinking coffee. The fact that I am here definitely influence the title of this post. I originally titled it ‘Times That Seem Like a Waste of Time,’ but then I changed it because it is much better to regard things and times as potentially honoring to God, and capable of bearing his glory. So while this time could be seen as a waste of time, I ought to view it as a moment in God’s process of redemption and restoration to his glory.

I have been kind of thinking a lot about the Holy Spirit, particularly the fruits of the spirit, which show themselves in the character and daily behavior of the Christian. It seems that in many of the Church gatherings that I have been to which emphasize the presence of the Holy Spirit, the indicators of his presence that are regarded are the miracles, prophecies, healings, tongues, and exciting and emotional worship times. These things are all crucial, they are of the Lord, and are a really cool indicator of the fact that we are, in fact, the eschatological people of God, and that this is the year of the Lord. But I think while these things have been emphasized and while the majority of the Church sees these as being of the Lord (in most cases), many, especially younger Christians have a limited view of just what the Holy Spirit was sent to do.

The miracle of reformed character, the creation of a people who do not seek to dominate, who are generous, hospitable, do not let foul talk come from their mouth, practice patience, and regard self-control as being cooler than being ‘wasted’ are not often regarded as significant as other, more miraculous, works of the Holy Spirit. It is important to see the things like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness as equally significant as the more spectacular works of the Holy Spirit. We talk about being all in, and giving it all to the Lord, but we don’t really talk much about what it might look like. I think we often think that we are only all in if we are leading crazy unpredictable lives like the apostles in acts, healings every day and gatherings of masses of ‘tongue talkers’ (I was asked by someone if I spoke in tongues, I said, ‘I have,’ he replied, ‘Oh, so you’re a tongue talker, eh!’), fact is that being all in is nothing more than being obedient. This doesn’t make ‘all in’ any easier but I think it is important to know that the Holy Spirit is at work in us even if we haven’t seen anyone stand up out of a wheelchair.

I bring all this up because as I have been working this job, largely away from the Church, I have wondered if in times like this one, when I sit in small towns with nothing to do except ponder and pray, if I am all in. But I believe that so long as the Lord is present and redemption is at hand, his glory can be beheld. The presence of the Holy Spirit points to the Kingdom at hand, at hand where the spirit is. And the presence of Spirit is not only marked by sensational events, but also by the miracle of lives reformed in repentance.

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