Wednesday Wonderisms #06

Barnacles & Being Better than Yourself

There are two of you out there, somewhere:

• One who feels like you are not enough.

• Another: overconfident, arrogant, pompous.

Both are incongruent heart postures in lieu of the story of God. Apart from Christ, we cannot make ourselves more than we are. We also cannot make ourselves less than we are. The only one who moves our needle is God Himself.

Regardless of our skills or upbringing, our life in Christ is fully dependent on the work of the Holy Spirit within us. Spurgeon went as far as to say: “Without the Spirit of God, we can do nothing. We are as ships without wind. We are useless.”¹ Serving and learning and giving are a part of our spiritual awakening, “but God… causes the growth.” (1 Corinthians 3:6).

One thing my father always said growing up which stuck onto me like a barnacle² on a whale was a simple yet profound reminder that our talent, gifting or abilities are not enough. My strength is not what my story depends on. “The Holy Spirit always makes you better than you are,” he would say. Each of us needs the Spirit’s transformation and grace, because He does so much legwork in our souls:

• He reveals all truth to us and reminds us of Jesus’ words (John 14:26)

• He prays for us when we don’t know what to pray (Romans 8:26)

• He is a gift for us to enjoy (Luke 11:13; Acts 2:28)

• He cultivates the garden of God’s character in us (Galatians 5:22-23)

• He gives us confidence and boldness (Acts 4:29)

• He empowers us supernaturally (Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthian 12-14; Hebrews 2:4)

I need to have a healthy view of myself in light of Christ’s ministry to Mankind. Not too high, which is prideful hubris; and not too low, which is dejection and hopelessness. But when I actualize the story of Jesus in my own life, I realize with joy the beautiful tension: that while on one hand, I have no ability on my own to be everything I want to be, on the other hand, Christ has sent the Holy Spirit to teach, empower, and make me better than I could ever imagine — if I stay in step with Him and rely on Him fully.

As Lewis said:

A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.³

There is so much for us to look up for. Our vision should be on God, our gaze set on all He is while we listen to what He has to say.

Pray for the LORD to grow your boldness and confidence by His Spirit. Through you, He longs to do incredible things in the lives of those you brush shoulders with and catch the glances of in the seemingly mundane moments. May the Holy Spirit blow fresh wind in our sails to pursue new horizons on our voyage of wonder with God today.

I leave you with 3 things to help you meditate and reflect on the work of the Holy Spirit today:

1. A Scripture to meditate on;

2. A song to worship and pray along with;

3. A book suggestion in your journey with the Spirit.

SCRIPTURE

²⁹ And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, ³⁰ while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” ³¹ And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.

— Acts 4:29-31

SONG

BOOK SUGGESTION

• Understanding Spiritual Gifts: A Comprehensive Guide by Sam Storms

  • This is a fantastic overview of the power of the Holy Spirit that is practically available in the life of a disciple of Jesus. It’s biblical theology is rich, and it’s a bit academic and heady, but if you can hang with it I think you’ll be encouraged. Even though the book is a little thick, Storms does a great job of putting things on the low shelf and keeping readers engaged.

[Wednesday Wonderisms is a short devotional reflection I’ll be sharing each midweek morning. Whether it’s sparked by a Scripture, a conversation with a friend, personal musings while raising my three kids or thoughts on the state of the Church, the goal is to encourage you to become an even more ardent worshiper of King Jesus. Hit the link below to share it with a friend.]

1. Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1988). “Spurgeon at His Best: Over 2200 Striking Quotations from the World's Most Exhaustive and Widely-read Sermon Series”, Baker Publishing Group

2. Olive Ridley Project. (2021, April 4). What are barnacles? | Sea turtle Science [Video]. YouTube.

3. C. S. Lewis (2003). “A Mind Awake: An Anthology of C. S. Lewis”, p.114, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt