Keeping in step with the Spirit
Miriam Thurlow writes:
Keeping in step with the Spirit.
In Galatians 5 we see the instruction ‘keep in step with the Spirit’. I’ve always loved this image and find it a helpful discipleship image. It makes me picture myself as a toddler desperate to keep up with my older brothers or slowing down to match my pace with a friend who walks slower than me. But, keeping in step with the Spirit is not always easy to do in practice. Sometimes we rush ahead of God or realise we have fallen behind or have veered off course - we fall out of step with God.
I want to keep in step with the Spirit, but to do that I need to be able to see clearly; to know what God is saying to me and how I am going to respond to it. One of the ways I’ve experienced God helping me to keep in step with the Spirit has been to bring fresh perspective to situations I am facing. I had one of these moments last week at Deanery Synod; as I heard Scripture being read aloud Holy Spirit met with me and gave me fresh perspective on a situation I was struggling with. God used a beautifully ordinary moment, and used it to reframe a situation, to lead me into a space of repentance and enable me to continue to keep in step with the Spirit rather than grumpily slump behind.
The reframing led to greater clarity. This has been brought home to me really obviously this last week because I went to the Opticians for the first time in 10 years, and it turns out I should be wearing glasses. It wasn’t until I was told I needed glasses that I knew I needed them, my eyes had got used to the imperfect vision I have and were working hard to compensate. Until they showed me what my sight would be like with glasses, I had not realised how much I needed them and how much better my sight is with them. And in the period between being told I needed glasses and having them I noticed my need for them more and more. Sometimes we need to be made aware that our vision has become a bit blurry, that we have fallen out of step with the Spirit. Even though circumstances may not have changed, how I see them has, and in response I am choosing to move towards them differently.
We see this in Numbers chapter 13 and 14, when the Israelites send out 12 leaders to explore the land promised to them. After 40 days they return with a report of the land. Most of the leaders report out of fear and focus on the strong defences of the land and the strength of the people. But Caleb brings a report of faith, calling God’s people to take the land promised to them because God is with them. However, fear spreads among the Israelites and they become shortsighted, only seeing the challenges and obstacles in front of them and forgetting who God is and what He has done for them. Caleb stands firm and continues to trust God and is described as having a different spirit and as one who follows God wholeheartedly.
Sometimes we can be like the Israelites and become shortsighted. We become super focused on the challenges in front of us that we need the Holy Spirit to come and reframe the circumstances. We don’t want to become shortsighted and forget what God has done for us and His promises to us. We don’t want to miss the things He is doing. We don’t want to have such a narrow field of vision that things get distorted or misinterpreted. We want, and need, clarity of sight so that we can keep on keeping in step with the Spirit.
Why don’t you invite the Holy Spirit to meet with you today, and show you where we are not in step with Him? Ask Him to teach us to be disciples who keep in step with the Spirit.
Rev Miriam Thurlow Associate Vicar CCBN