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- Nudged by the Holy Spirit
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
-Romans 15:13
How often do you listen to the Holy Spirit?
As Christians, I think we often struggle to understand the Holy Spirit, let alone visualize how God’s presence can live within our heart.
When a friend asked me the above question, I was initially taken aback. I know that I should be listening to the Holy Spirit all of the time. But to tell you the truth, I don’t think I listen to the Holy Spirit much at all.
I’ve talked to many men who struggle to know when the Holy Spirit is leading them. They’ll ask questions like “Is the Spirit telling me to talk to that person, or is it just my own voice?” and “Is this really the Spirit that I feel within my heart, or is it something else?”
When it comes to evangelistic opportunities, I’ve realized that it’s always better to err on the side of believing that the Spirit is leading you.
Let me explain: suppose you’re sitting at a restaurant table while waiting to order dinner. The waiter comes up to your table, and you feel a strong urge that the waiter needs to hear about Christ.
Is that urge from the Holy Spirit? Or is it just your own voice, unprompted by the Spirit?
My mindset is that it’s better to assume that you’re being led by the Spirit. I’d speak to the waiter.
When I get to Heaven, God might tell me that it wasn’t His Spirit speaking to me at the restaurant that day. But I imagine he’ll still be pleased that I shared the Gospel with the waiter.
The flip side is terrifying. If I don’t speak to the waiter, what will God say to me when I get to Heaven? Maybe he’ll say that it was His Spirit speaking to me at the restaurant. By ignoring the urges within my own heart, I quenched the Holy Spirit.
My encouragement to you is to listen to the Holy Spirit. Listen to your heart.
It’s better to act in a way that pleases the Lord, even if you were not led by the Spirit, then to be nudged by the Spirit and ignore the Spirit’s voice.