Are You Led by the Spirit?

Are you led by the Spirit in your daily life, or are you running on empty? God never intended for you to live the Christian life in your own strength—He gave you the Holy Spirit to guide, empower, and fill you continually.

While God provided salvation through Jesus Christ, He made no provision for us to live the Christian life in our own strength.

During his presidency, Franklin D. Roosevelt endured long receiving lines at many White House receptions. He grew tired of all the small talk and flattery he received as the host of each reception. He came to the conclusion that his guests were never really listening to anything he said while greeting and shaking hands with him. While face-to-face with the president of the United States, they seemed to have other things on their minds.

At one particular reception, he decided to try a little experiment to see how attentive his guests really were. As each guest arrived and shook the president’s hand, he smiled politely and said pleasantly, “I murdered my grandmother this morning.”

Just as Roosevelt had suspected, the guests responded with comments such as, “Marvelous!” “Keep up the good work!” “We are proud of you!” and “God bless you, sir!”

The flattery continued almost throughout the entire line. But it was his last guest, the ambassador from Bolivia, who actually listened to what Roosevelt said in his greeting. Upon hearing the president’s comment, the ambassador leaned in and whispered, “I’m sure she had it coming!”

A Spiritual Lesson from a Presidential Story

Hundreds of guests passed right by the president … with a rehearsed greeting and other things on their minds. This story entertains as a quirky fact of presidential history. It also shows how Christians can miss out because they fail to be filled with the Holy Spirit. If we’re not awfully careful, we will become distracted by things such as work stress, family schedules, relationship expectations, and social media platforms that keep us from experiencing the manifested presence and power of the Holy Spirit that is available to us daily.

Before we dive into the many reasons every Christian is in need of regular refills, let’s pause for a moment. First, distinguish between receiving the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit filling you.

The Difference Between Receiving and Being Filled with the Spirit

When people give their lives to Christ, they receive forgiveness for their sins. They also receive the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of payment and a promise of eternity. He is the seal of our salvation. He reminds us that salvation is never about what we’ve done but what God has done!

However, the Christian life doesn’t stop at salvation. God didn’t design salvation as fire insurance to keep us out of hell. Instead, salvation must be considered the beginning of a new life.

God gives us a fresh start, but we need help to take every step in our Christian walk. God reigns on the throne in Heaven; Jesus sits at His right hand and intercedes for us; and the Holy Spirit dwells with us on earth. While God provided salvation through Jesus Christ, He made no provision for us to live the Christian life in our own strength. He always intended to live through us by the Holy Spirit. He didn’t just fix our problems and send us on our way, but He dwells within us to lead us in His way!

Ephesians 5:18 commands Christians, “Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit” (NLT). If a Christian walks into a church or attends their Bible study while drunk, others would certainly be in agreement that is wrong. However, many Christians are not living Spirit-filled lives and don’t give it a second thought—though the two commands are in the same verse. Just as it is wrong to get drunk, it is also wrong to neglect living a Spirit-filled life.

Staying Filled: God’s Answer for Fragile Clay Jars

God commands us to live filled with the Holy Spirit, but we struggle to stay filled because we are merely “fragile clay jars” (2 Corinthians 4:7 NLT). We crack and leak, so the only way to keep our jars full is to continually refill them.

Roosevelt’s guests had access to him but failed to make the most of his time and attention. In the same way, Christians often ignore the power of the Holy Spirit. Too often, they fail to acknowledge what He has given them. This world is an ever-changing, challenging environment that requires us to be led by the Spirit in every moment.

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Don’t settle for less when God offers power for more. Live Spirit-filled and impact the world for Christ!