Trusting in the Holy Spirit

Submitted by Tommy Galik
So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might nor by power, but by my spirit, says the LORD Almighty.” Zechariah 4:6

The universal church has gained much success through the years but now our voice is being drowned out by the noise of the media and culture. The spiritual advances that we made in the last century have been replaced by a rational approach to the ministry and to God.

We no longer trust God to make changes in what we do in the church or how we reach the unsaved, but we trust others to tell us we are doing it wrong or how to do it better. We don’t say the unsaved anymore but they are nonbelievers. We are afraid to use church words such as “unsaved” because they won’t understand what the word means. Well, the new words we use in church must be explained for them to understand. With either approach, new terminology must be learned by them.

We have replaced the spiritual meaning and practice to what can be rationally discerned and practiced. We need to return to the faith that our biblical authors expected and our families practiced several years ago. We are to trust the Holy Spirit to work in situations that we have no control over. Somehow, we have come to believe that church growth gurus, psychologist, sociologist, philosophers, and other educated people know more than God.

Zechariah had a tough assignment to preach to the people. He could not do it in his own power but he had to trust God for help. We must return to trusting God to reach people that we can’t reach through our own efforts inspired by well-meaning people. The Holy Spirit draws people to the Lord faster than we can through our frail human efforts. We need to stop thinking it is up to us to draw them to God. It is not. Trusting the power of Holy Spirit will bring greater spiritual growth than what we can do.

We cannot move the greatest obstacle in our life but God can. We are to pray for God to help in every situation but leave the results to him. Quit thinking about how important our planning and work is. Give it to God. Yes, we are to be involved in ministry and planning but we are to leave the results to him. We must stop saying that the millennials, boomers, and builders operate in a certain fashion. We must stop saying that we cannot have this activity because so many people are involved in other activities. That may be true but planning and praying for God to bring people to us or the church will bring more results than believing that it won’t work.

Leave everything to God. You think I am naïve. It will never work. It probably won’t work the first time or two. It is probably God testing our faith to see if we believe he will do it. God demands faith along with common sense to serve him. I would rather trust God to move in people than an outstanding motivational speaker, a nationally known author, or the right time to do something for him. The right time is when we trust God to do the work that we cannot do ourselves.

It is not up to us to produce results but up to the Holy Spirit to work in the hearts of people. Yes, we are a voice for God but some of us plant seeds, some of us water the seeds, but it is God that gives the increase or harvest. 1st Corinthians 3:7.

Scripture to Claim:

Not by might nor by power, but by my spirit, says the LORD Almighty.” Zechariah 4:6.
So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. 1st Corinthians 3:7. (NASV)