Tag: Holy Spirit

Running On Empty (My Embarrassing Life Pt. 2)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

For my first article on passing my driving test on my first (fifth) try, click here.

I’ve never been a fan of long-distance running. Whenever I’m asked to participate in a walk-a-thon with an entry fee, I reply, “So they’re paying me to run, right?” But some time in college, I decided I needed to improve my cardio. I bit the bullet, purchased a solid pair of running shoes, and hit the track.

One day, a few of my friends decided to jog from main campus to the recreation fields. The distance was a little farther than I was used to jogging, but I was confident I’d be up to the challenge. However, three-fourths of the way through the jog, I drained my water bottle. I jogged about another quarter mile before my vision began to darken. I sank to the curb, panting.

Running Out

Randy Alcorn said, “The Christian life is not a 100-meter dash but a marathon. Those who lack patience, endurance and discipline will drop out of the race.” Just as most people can dash one-hundred meters, many start the Christian journey well but very few finish.

Jesus Himself said, “‘Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him'” (Luke 14:27-29 NASB).

My friends–thankfully–did not mock me when I plopped down. But the shame was real. I was unable to continue that jog on my own.

Filling Up

A few minutes later, a friend of mine came by and gave me a cup of water he’d retrieved from a nearby house. Once I gulped that water down, I was refreshed and able to finish the jog we had started. Similarly, we have no hope of finishing the marathon of the Christian life without the fount of living water refreshing us (John 4:10).

The Holy Spirit is this conduit through whom we tap into the river of God’s blessings. Through Him we receive the truth we need to counteract Satan’s lies (John 16:13), the comfort we need to face the world’s pain (2 Corinthians 1:3-4), and the freedom we need to run this lifetime marathon well (2 Corinthians 3:17).

Conclusion

We will all stumble along the way. We will disrespect our parents or let down our friends or disappoint ourselves. But we have a choice: Remain in that puddle of sweat and defeat or get back up, accept a refreshing drink of the power of the Holy Spirit, and keep on running.

“‘I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.'”

(John 15:5 NIV)

Loneliness

By Ife J. Ibitayo

I had envisioned graduate school would be a much needed fresh start after my exhausting senior year of undergrad. I’d take informative classes, conduct exciting research, and form lasting friendships. But the reality was far less glamorous than I had imagined.

I found myself slaving away at a project that was six months behind schedule. I also formed connections a lot slower than I thought I would. During my first year of graduate school, I felt crushingly alone.

The Source of Loneliness

 I think that all loneliness stems from a sense of distance. The distance can be physical, such as geographical separation or different waking hours, or it can be emotional. A season when you feel harried and harassed while everyone else seems carefree and relaxed, for instance, can be a source of loneliness.

The opposite of loneliness is togetherness, a feeling of “affectionate closeness” [thesaurus.com]. Initiating connection, checking up on an old friend or grabbing lunch with an acquaintance, cultivates togetherness, but this principle might ring a bit hollow during the middle of a pandemic. Are we doomed to suffer alone because our government mandates we stay apart?

The Solution to Loneliness

From the beginning of the New Testament, the author of the book of Matthew speaks of Jesus as “Emmanuel”, meaning “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). I envy the disciples who walked the earth with Jesus Christ. They saw, heard, and touched God in the flesh. It’s hard to imagine they doubted that God was really with them!

But right before Jesus left the earth, he spoke of sending his disciples a helper “who would be with them forever” (John 14:16 ESV). This helper is the Holy Spirit, and God gives Him to all believers (Galatians 4:6).

Alone Together

The modern church does not emphasize the Holy Spirit as it once used to, leaving the concept unfamiliar or even creepy to many people. But He is the ultimate manifestation of God with us today. God was not satisfied with looking down on us from above or even walking beside us here on earth. He decided that His chief residence after the resurrection would be within each of us. This means that no matter what we’re going through or where we are, He is still with us.

The one thing that kept me going through my lonely first year of graduate school was the closeness of God. As I spent days turning wrenches and nights crying out to my heavenly Father, I experienced the tangible presence of the Holy Spirit within me. He was an ever-present friend in the absence of community, and during this pandemic, as I find myself alone once more, He is still with me.

Conclusion

If you are struggling with loneliness during this season, know that the Holy Spirit “can be the friend that sticks closer to you than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24 ESV). Maybe social distancing was just the space God needed to draw near to you.

“And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

 Romans 5:5 ESV