Room for the Holy Spirit

It's kind of a running joke in Christian school circles especially that every time you dance (or at least when you dance with someone other than your spouse), you're supposed to leave room for Jesus. Some say "room for the Holy Spirit," but it's the same principle: don't hold your dancing partner too close.

Ever since our last Men For Christ meeting, I've been wondering about how much room we leave for the Holy Spirit in our day-to-day lives. It's so easy to shut out the Spirit entirely, isn't it? We all stay so busy, it's just easier for us to take full control of our lives, never pausing to ask what God may want us to do about a given situation. Some of us have even developed the ability to shut out the voice of God in our consciences, running roughshod over any biblical objections to our actions to do them anyway. We never leave room for the Holy Spirit, never listen to that still, small voice.

But we should. Imagine what our world would look like if everyone would pause to discern the will of God before taking action. What would happen if we all took even just a few minutes of each day to center ourselves in God's will? I bet we'd be holier people who would show more of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. And we could all use more of those.

Commit yourself today to leaving room for the Holy Spirit. Take time to pray and to listen. Slow down a bit. And be careful how you dance.