Sounds like a total oxymoron! And yet, this is exactly how I felt after the Deeper Retreat! I was physically and emotionally drained, but spiritually energized, all at the same time!!! I was totally exhausted of myself, but totally energized in the Spirit!!!
To be totally emptied of yourself, makes room to be totally filled with the Holy Spirit!! “Move over self, I’ve gotta make room for the Spirit of God to take over!!!” Can I get a good amen?!!
This is SO where the Lord wants us to be, and He revealed this to me on Tuesday after the retreat...I just have to share it with you!!! Think about this statement:
The Holy Spirit is enthusiastic about you!
Now when you think of the word “enthusiastic” you may think of things like “excited, extremely devoted, intensely emotional, enormously focused, engaged in joyful pursuit, and fired up”! Maybe you imagine a cheerleader!
Well, though the word “enthusiastic” is not in our Bible, it is in there every time there is a mention of the Holy Spirit!!! How do I know this? Well, get this: the root word for “enthusiastic” is “entheos” which means...are you ready for this?!!! It means “having God within”!!!! Well Who is within you? The promised Holy Spirit!!! That just got me all excited just typing it out to you!!!!
Your God is enthusiastic about you!! He is excited for you to wake up each morning, excited to be with you, and excited to come alongside you, and help you grow!! He is enthusiastic about you fulfilling your God-given purpose, and is just as enthusiastic about helping you fulfill it! This is your Abba, Father!!! And when He placed His Spirit within you, the Holy Spirit is excited, extremely devoted, intensely emotional, enormously focused, engaged in joyful pursuit, and fired up about helping you become all God intended for you!!! He is your biggest cheerleader!
What would it mean to you to understand that the Holy Spirit is deposited inside of you for this purpose? What would it mean to see Him in this way? How would that effect your approach to each day, and your attitude for each day? How would it change the way you view your current circumstances?
You might feel exhausted physically or emotionally, but God wants you energized and excited because He is so enthusiastic about you!! So be encouraged today that if you know Jesus as Savior and Lord, that the Holy Spirit has been placed inside of you, and He is thoroughly enthusiastic about who you are and what He made you to be and do, even before you took your first breath!!!
Get fired up, because the Lord sure is fired up about you!!!!