John 16:12-15 (NLT)
“There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now.
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’
Explanation: My personal theme for 2022 is embracing curiosity over certainty.
It’s very easy to become brittle or dogmatic in beliefs and not stay moldable. It’s the boomerang of many years lived that I don’t want to grab.
We visited Woodstock, New York, and by happenstance arrived on the 50th Anniversary of the famous Woodstock concert. We found a gathering of 75-ish-old hippies sporting peace signs, the combover of shoulder length hair, long gray braids, tie dye clothes, wearing stability shoes, and using walkers and canes. It seemed charming and humorous at first, then kind of sad. They had peaked and frozen. Apparently they hadn’t taken to heart Bob Dylan’s admission, “If you’re not busy being born, you’re busy dying.”
It was a great object lesson for me.
I want to stay curious about people, technology, leadership, fashion, mentoring, gardening, hospitality, culture shifts, and current events. I keep exposing my mind to new thoughts and additional information. I want to keep growing instead of narrowing my world in such a way that I simmer it down to a stock of certainty that makes my world small, predictable, routine, or worse yet, habitual.
But no area of curiosity makes my heart pound faster than spiritual curiosity.
The Holy Spirit was sent specifically to LEAD us into all truth. He is futuristic in His leading!
There is something new He wants to teach us every day of our lives about Jesus! His revelations are always fresh and life changing. It’s the most beautiful adventure of growing deeper and deeper in love with Jesus as the Holy Spirit peels layers and layers of revelation back for us!
He illuminates the TRUTH of who Jesus is: not our mom's version, our neighbor’s version or our boss’s version. The Father gave us Jesus to reveal the Father. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus.
The Holy Spirit will tell us the whole truth of who Jesus is. I have been wrong or wracked with doubt regarding so many things about Christianity that it has added an underlying soberness and desire to know what God really wants me to know. I want to shed anything in my life that was put there by the denomination, home, or tradition I was raised in. I want truth.
It’s a process, not a moment, and it is your inalienable right as a Christ follower to be led into ALL truth regarding Jesus. Take hold of what is yours!
Application:
Why is a God-curious life an attractional life?
You choose: ✔️Malaise or Love ✔️Dormant or Growing ✔️Same or New ✔️Monotonous or Engaging ✔️Stale or Fresh ✔️Packaged or Authentic ✔️Past or Future ✔️Self or Holy Spirit
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, I want! I want fresh revelation. I want power to overcome. I want closeness. I want boldness. I want insight. I want wisdom. I want to be enlarged in compassion and love. You are my Guide and Friend. Lead me where Jesus wants me. Amen.
For Further Study:
I lean heavily on Pastor Chris’ knowledge of the languages, cultural impact, and context comprehension of the Bible when I am wrestling through something spiritual. He is such a good resource as I ask the Holy Spirit to lead me. He has never flinched when I’ve handed him doubt, and he has always been one gracious email away: creed@thetree.church