Routine
“Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.””
Do you enjoy routine? I have developed a morning routine that I follow almost every day. My routine helps my spiritual, mental, physical, and professional health. Moving through the activities and steps also brings me a sense of comfort. Whenever something disrupts my routine, it throws off the rhythm of the day and usually my attitude. No fan of routine likes having it disturbed.
That provides an interesting contrast to the picture in the scripture above. Jesus is teaching Nicodemus about the unpredictable nature of the Holy Spirit in the life of a person of faith. This month is Pentecost, where we celebrate the arrival of the Holy Spirit in the world in a new way. The pouring out of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost propelled the disciples into the world in mission and is considered the birth of the church. Scripture teaches us that the Holy Spirit is not limited by our comfortable routines, well-developed plans, or overly simple explanations.
Throughout the Bible, the Spirit moves people to do things outside their routine. The Spirit moves elders of Israel to prophesy in Numbers 11:24-29. The Spirit leads heroes like Joshua, Ezekiel, and Paul. After Pentecost, leaders of the new church discerned the movement of the Spirit in recent converts as one of the indicators of true faith.
Some folks find it deeply unsettling to be subject to such an unpredictable force. However, stories of the Spirit’s movement should bring us comfort rather than fear. The question we have to consider when we feel this way is, “Where are we looking for comfort and safety?” If we look for security and peace in the fact that our circumstances are as we want them, it’s easy to see why some would resist embracing the presence and power of the Spirit. We draw comfort from the illusion of order and control over things. Contrast that with walking in the security of God’s love as the source of our peace, joy, and strength. These states of mind and heart are gifts from God. They’re also not dependent on situations in our lives. The key difference is that even if God commands us to do something uncomfortable, we can trust that all will be well because of our relationship with God. Even when problems disrupt our plans and cause us harm, we can keep moving forward because we know that God is within us as well as with us.
As disciples, it can be hard to make peace with the fact that the Holy Spirit is not predictable, controllable, or understandable. However, this is simply a reflection of God’s nature, which should be beyond our capacity to fully comprehend or control. If we totally understood or dominated God, God would not be God. As we celebrate Pentecost this month and welcome the Spirit anew, I encourage you to embrace a little unpredictability. Be open to more of the Spirit’s unforeseeable and uncomfortable movement in your life. God never promised us safety or ease. He promised to be with us. Let us remember that promise whenever the Spirit pushes us beyond the comfort of our expectations and routines. It is by following the Spirit’s lead that we can achieve greater things than we could ever imagine and draw closer to God than we ever thought possible.
Pastor Scott
