- Paper towels
- Milk
- Butter
- Chicken
- Toilet paper
- Beans
- Laundry detergent
- Fruit
- Cereal
I’m making out my grocery list … again … and I sigh as I think to myself how many times I have purchased these items over the years. Week after week, for over thirty years (gasp!) my trips to the grocery store look pretty similar, with some slight variations from week to week. It’s always a red-letter day when I realize I have enough bread or shampoo to hold me over another week. Yay me! One less thing to toss into the grocery cart! Sure, a trip to Costco with its bulk quantities is helpful, but even Costco knows we’re all a bit like Arnold Schwarzenegger as we drive away and think to ourselves, “I’ll be back.” Wouldn’t it be marvelous to maintain a limitless supply of certain items, so I didn’t have to keep buying them?
In the past decade, Hollywood has produced a TV series, a movie, and a documentary each entitled Limitless. We seem fascinated by the possibility of possessing something that never runs out, whether it’s brain power, physical endurance, or money. And how about those lucky folks who win a lifetime supply of some product? A quick search online unearthed articles about folks who have won unlimited amounts of tater tots, Rice-a-Roni, and bacon. Make that a lifetime supply of chocolate and I’d be a happy girl!
For most of us, however, our possession of nearly anything can run low or run out at any given time. This is true of our energy, our enthusiasm, or our eggs. We accept this as reality and move on in hopes that our energy will return after a good night’s sleep, our enthusiasm with reappear with a good pep talk, and our eggs will be resupplied with a trip to the grocery store. Is there anything at all that is truly limitless, anything I can count on to be readily available no matter the time of day or season of the year?
John 3:34 offers this wonderful promise. “… for God gives the Spirit without limit.” And I think to myself … does any of the rest really matter as long as I’m given unlimited access to the Holy Spirit? Because He is not just a one-hit wonder like Vanilla Ice. He doesn’t just show up when He feels like it to sparingly dole out a few breadcrumbs to keep us on the right path, like Hansel and Gretel. He is not playing games with us, not holding out on us, not annoyed by our neediness or our emptiness. According to scripture, the Spirit without limit means we have been granted an endless supply of wisdom, love, hope, joy, encouragement, and eternal life, just to name a few. So, if I have all of that, is it possible that the rest doesn’t really matter all that much? And what could I possibly accomplish if I truly believed that He was prepared to open His spiritual fire hydrant the second I am feeling dry?
I woke up this morning with a sense of urgency and a smidgen of fear … this week alone, I have three blogs to write in addition to a sermon to prepare. Every now and then I have this moment of alarm … what if there is absolutely nothing left to say? What if it’s all been said already by others who have said it better? What if my mind is blank, what if there is no fresh spiritual insight, what if there is no revelation of truth? It’s enough to make a girl panic sometimes. And then I remind myself, ahh, God gives me His Holy Spirit without limit. And I breathe easier, knowing He will never run out of ideas, even if I do.
Where is your supply running low today? Whether it’s your capacity to love your spouse, your wisdom in raising your children, or your capability to do your job with excellence, in Christ you have won a lifetime supply of the Holy Spirit. There is a fresh dose of Him waiting for you each morning when you open your eyes. So throw back the covers and let your feet hit the floor with confidence. You got this, today and every day! Because of Christ, you are limitless, and that’s better than any superpower Hollywood has to offer.
PREACH!!! Love this, Renee. Exactly what I needed to hear, RIGHT now!! Thank you.
Good word, and so well written! Thank you for sharing!