Day 19 - The Breath of God
1 Corinthians 3:16
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?
I still remember watching the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000, especially the opening ceremony. For Australians, this was a big moment. In the months leading up to it, the Olympics was a big focus of conversation. But the real focus on the night of the opening ceremony, was who would bring the Olympic torch into the stadium to light the flame, signalling the beginning of the games. I remember watching Cathy Freeman run into the stadium that night, carrying the torch and the moment the great Olympic flame was lit. It was a spectacular moment!
Who carries the Olympic torch, especially in those final moments, is a big decision for the host country. The job doesn’t go to just anybody. They need to be deserving of the honour. I think we would all agree that Cathy Freeman was the right choice in 2000.
If we consider it such a great honour and privilege to carry the Olympic torch, how much more should we value the honour of carrying the spirit of God?
1 Corinthians 3:16 tells us that we “are God’s temple and that God’s spirit dwells in [our] midst” (NIV). We cannot overstate the significance of this. Paul was saying to the church: we don’t need to go to a temple or a tabernacle to find the spirit of God. Rather, His very breath and presence resides in us - constantly, completely and powerfully.
Paul was speaking to people who knew what it was like to go to a temple or shrine and hope to find God. And he was reminding them that now they are Christians, they no longer needed to search in a temple - we are that temple.
If that thought seems provocative, it’s because it is. If we have such stringent requirements for who holds the Olympic torch at the opening ceremony, shouldn’t there be some kind of qualification for us to hold the Spirit of God in us? Yet that is the gift of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit was sent to us as God’s gift to His people to help, encourage, instruct, and guide. Joel 2:28-29 tells us that it was always part of God’s plan to pour out His Spirit on all people - not just those that the world considers worthy of the honour. And from the beginning of time, we were created to carry the breath of God (Genesis 2:7)
Knowing that we have the gift of the Holy Spirt in our lives, let’s be encouraged not to disregard what a great privilege it is. Let’s use this gift wisely and freely. We carry the spirit of God in us - let us draw close to Him, seek His counsel daily, ask Him to guide us and direct us. Don’t let the gift of the Holy Spirit lie dormant in your spiritual life. Imagine what we would think if Cathy Freeman had turned down the opportunity to carry the Olympic torch and light the flame? We too have such a great privilege and gift in the Holy Spirit. He is waiting patiently to speak to us, even now.
Will you draw closer to the Holy Spirit today? Ask him to speak with you. Ask him to direct you. To watch over your spouse and your kids. Your parents and friends. His Spirit dwells in you. He is waiting.