Leaning Hard on the Spirit

"Come to me, all you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest" Matthew 11:28
  
   I am truly alive when I lean hard on the Spirit.  When I live trusting that God is real and powerful and willing to work in and through me, I experience true freedom.  Each circumstance and moment that I place in the capable will and love of God is sanctified and emboldened by Him.  To lean is to rest, to depend, to transfer burden and weight onto another.  To lean is to take some of the pressure to stand off of yourself.  Conversely, any and every moment, interaction, challenge, and task that I do not trust Christ with becomes an opportunity for my flesh to reign in fear, uncertainty, insecurity, and strife.  To not lean is to allow all of the pressure, strain, and weight to be my sole burden and responsibility.  But because I do not want others to know that I'm depending on myself and not on the Spirit of Christ, I've learned to lean on Christ as if he were made of cardboard.  Gingerly, hesitantly. always making sure I'm there with my own energy and wisdom as a back up in case there is any moment when he looks like he can't pull it through.  It is time for me to be honest with myself:  Faith is not just knowing God is there.  Faith is throwing all of my weight on the promise that God will reign in and through my life in every moment I submit to Him.
     The church of the last century has done a great job making faith into an easy thing.  "Just say these words and you'll reach the fullness of God's intention for you! Speak the sinners prayer and you've arrived on the mountain".  No.  A prayer of confession and trust in forgiveness is only the beginning.  The gospel calls us to lay down ALL things before Christ.  I want to lean hard on the Spirit of God!  I desire each moment to be a new adventure in witnessing first hand the character and particular power of the Creator in my life!  When we lean hard on the Spirit, he can do more with us.  When we hold back, leaning on our own power and will, there is less for God to work with.  The level at which I trust God with my life is the level at which I experience God's power and love in my life.

"Oh God, forgive me for leaning too hard on my own strength.  Its not working for me very well.  I am tired and beat up because of it.  I want to lean fully on your grace.  I want to put all of the weight of my life in your care so you can do things that only you can do. Help me to trust you, through the power of the Faithful One, Jesus Christ. Amen."