Scripture Reflections

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:5-8)

One of the major themes we have seen over the last few months is the presence of the Spirit in the church, empowering us to be witnesses to the work of Jesus. This has shown up in the women’s Bible study as they study Acts, it was a topic of conversation at the deanery retreat as we prayed for the gift of evangelism, and we heard from Jesus himself this last Sunday the necessity of being transformed in a new birth of water and the Spirit.

We want to see and experience the Spirit empowering and transforming us, so that we know that it is happening! Indeed, sometimes our eyes are opened to perceive what God is doing in us and for us. But as Jesus said to Nicodemus, the Spirit is oftentimes like the wind, which we cannot see coming or going. As we pray that we would be, by the presence of the Spirit, ministers of God in a broken world, we must trust that God will work through us, even when we can’t always see exactly what he is doing.

For many of us, this causes a struggle! If I can’t see what God is doing, then how do I know what to do? But the answer we have heard many times in the last few months is clear: just keep being faithful in what God has given you to do today. As we pray that God would use us for the sake of his kingdom, don’t be dismayed if the best answer you have for what to do is simply, “Lord, help me be faithful to the calling of this day!”

-Steven+