Since my faith came alive 35 years ago, I’ve known the guidance of the Holy Spirit on countless occasions and in numerous different ways. This is one of the many graces that come with Baptism in the Spirit. But there’s always the danger that we take these examples of God’s amazing presence in our lives for granted, and instead of staying constantly alert for his promptings we become complacent and start to rely more on our human wisdom and effort than on divine inspiration and guidance. The Galatian Christians fell into this trap and incurred Paul’s immediate rebuke:

“How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? Have you experienced so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it?” (ref. Galatians 3: 1-5 NLT).

Nothing much has changed - we can easily fall victim to the same temptation and I often wonder what Paul would be writing to the Catholic Charismatic Renewal today. Would he have cause to begin his letter “You foolish Charismatics…..”? The fact that the charisms are less evident than they used to be suggests we are relying less on the Spirit and more on ourselves. I’ve been asking myself why is it that I so easily slip back into the old ways, just like the Galatian Christians, when I’ve personally experienced the amazing presence and power of the Holy Spirit in my life? I need to pay attention to the warning signs and to be sure I’m still living in the grace of Baptism in the Spirit.

“When I am weak, then I am strong”

Baptism in the Holy Spirit is not a sign of maturity – if anything it underlines my weakness. It’s because I’ve discovered how weak I am that I seek God’s strength, and when God pours out his Spirit upon me it does not necessarily mean that I am now stronger in myself. It’s simply that God’s strength is flowing more freely through me. What happens when God makes men and women strong in the power of his Spirit? We prosper, grow spiritually and become more useable for his purposes. But the dangers of human pride are always lurking in the shadows as I begin to walk in the Spirit. Instead of constantly acknowledging my natural weaknesses and humbling myself before the God of glory, I can easily become proud, arrogant, and even presumptuous in his presence. I may begin to think I am without error and above correction, when I really know only too well that pride comes before a fall. Falling is going to exclude me from God’s blessing until I humble myself and seek his forgiveness. Paul is an outstanding example of a man who knew his own weaknesses and relied on God: “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). He thanked God for his weaknesses, knowing they made him more dependent on supernatural power – look at what he achieved! I too must remember how weak I am and how much I need the empowering presence of the Spirit. I should be constantly on my guard against slipping back into the old ways. Perhaps I need to ask myself once again, do I really know what the Spirit is saying day by day? Have I been checking to find out? If not, why not? Where is the wind of the Spirit blowing today?

I recently watched a number of small sailing boats manoeuvring to catch the wind and was impressed by the high level of activity displayed by the crew members, as they worked hard to take advantage of the shifting wind. I’m not a sailor, but I vividly remember that on the few occasions I’ve been out with a friend it was certainly not a matter of sitting back and relaxing – I was kept busy all the time, waiting for the wind, watching it and trimming the sails to take advantage of subtle changes in its direction and strength. Then just when everything seemed set fair, the wind would change, blowing more strongly or gently, and the sails needed adjusting again. This is how it is with the Holy Spirit (John 3:8), and it reminded me of the importance of constantly checking to see which way he’s blowing. He never stays still for long – he’s a violent wind (Acts 2:2), at other times a gentle breeze or warm, caressing breath (John 20:22). The question this raises in my mind is how attentive am I to the presence and activity of the Spirit around me? Am I alert to changes in what he’s saying and doing, or am I sitting back and relaxing in the false belief that after so many years I know what he’s like and how he works? If I’m to keep following the Spirit this seems a good moment to make sure I fully understand what’s going on, to check that I’m practising what I preach and keeping my spiritual sails trimmed to his wind. I also need to be aware of what might interfere with this and stop it happening.

The Spirit – God’s guarantee

My natural reason and emotions can easily be mixed up with the impulses of the Holy Spirit. It’s only humility that will safeguard me from thinking I know what the Spirit should be saying or doing, and from speaking “inspired” words when the source is really me. Baptism in the Spirit is no short-cut to Christian maturity – indeed it often signals the breaking out of fresh conflicts which show me what I’m actually like. If the Holy Spirit is to be in full control, these conflicts must be resolved and self must be set aside. I need to be honest and admit when I fail, allowing the Holy Spirit to search me and untangle me. When I slip back into the old Galatian ways, relying on my own strength, it doesn’t mean that the Spirit has left me and the new life is over – it simply means that there is more work to be done in me. The fact that the Spirit has started his work is the guarantee of its completion. As Paul assured the Christians in Ephesus: “The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people” Ephesians 1:14.
But the journey to my eternal reward is still to be made, so I’d better be sure I stay close to the guide every step of the way.

“Apart from me you can do nothing...”

When I was baptised in the Holy Spirit it was a new beginning. As I walk in the Spirit I make many mistakes - I have failures as well as successes. I should never let the successes make me proud. I need to resist the temptation to talk too much about them, and must learn to give all the glory to God. On the other hand, I should never allow my failures to lead me into despair. These too are stepping stones along the way, not stumbling blocks, and as long as I remain humble I can learn from every mistake. The proud never admit to mistakes, so can never learn from them. If I am to be of any use to God I must admit my failures, learn from them, and accept his correction. Above all I need to remember the words of Jesus: “….apart from me you can do nothing” John 15:5. Where Jesus is, there too is his Spirit – they are “distinct but inseparable” as the Catechism expresses it (section 689). Could I wish for any better companions on my journey?

So how does all this relate to being guided by the Spirit? To put it very simply, I have some decisions to make. Am I going to consciously look for signs of the Spirit at work as I follow the patterns of my daily life? In the bigger picture, can I say with confidence where I see the wind of the Spirit blowing and how I am responding to it? Do all these things have an effect on how I spend my time, where I put my energy, and if not, why not? Perhaps I just need to be more alert and active in adjusting my sails to catch the wind of the Spirit. As Blessed John Paul II expressed it on 30th April 1998:

“By allowing the Spirit to act in one’s own life, one also makes the best contribution to the mission of the Church. Do not be afraid to unfurl your sails to the breath of the Spirit!”

Wise words – I need to be sure I’m putting them into practice. If I want to play my part effectively in the mission of the Church, I need to make certain that my sails are fully unfurled to the breath of the Spirit.

© Charles Whitehead