“Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts…” (Galatians 4:6).

Barry Cooper provides a helpful illustration when thinking about the Holy Spirit’s work in the life of a Christian.

“Imagine you want every room in your home painted white. And imagine that you already have a painter standing in the living room, ready to paint. The problem is that some of the rooms are locked. The solution is not to invite the painter in a second time, or perhaps invite him to somehow be even more present than he currently is – whatever that means. What is needed is for the doors to be unlocked so that the painter can work.”*

You are the house. The Holy Spirit is the painter. If you are a genuine follower of Christ, the Holy Spirit already dwells within you. He is at work.

At the same time, there might be rooms within your house that are locked. I think this is a way of saying that we should seek to cooperate with the work that the Spirit wants to do in our lives. We should open up those places and priorities that we have previously kept closed to him.

Here’s a prayer for those of us who sometimes think we know better than God, and who pretend that our interior designs are better than his.

Holy Spirit, I trust you.
Holy Spirit, I welcome you.
Holy Spirit, I cooperate with you.

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Notes:

–The Up Devotional is published 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) and  returns on January 22, 2024.

–*”Being filled with the Spirit.” The ‘Simply Put’ podcast by Barry Cooper. November 7, 2023. Accessed at: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts/simply-put/being-filled-with-the-spirit 

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.