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Many Christians look for an event that will make them happy, their dreams come true, their problems go away, and they find freedom from various forms of bondage.  I see it all the time, sadly some people even present Biblical truth in commercial form so as to see people “join” whatever movement or tribe they are trying to grow.  I see it when people come to Christ - now that they’ve accepted Jesus, they automatically think they took the magic pill and now all of life is bliss.  It isn’t.  Others think once they experience a second blessing and are filled with the Holy Spirit, now it will all work - only to find out it doesn’t necessarily mean all their problems go away. 

Our experiences with God aren’t one time pills that fix everything but milestones that take us to the next level.  If anything, those experiences are beginning points that allow us to experience God in deeper ways and even learn to trust him more.  I once heard an African pastor say that he was one miracle short of people returning to old forms of religion and away from Christianity - as long as the miracles came he had a crowd, but the moment they stopped he was in trouble. 

When you have an experience with God, you should always celebrate what it did and its legitimacy.  The problem is our interpretation of that experience and what we think it means for us.  If we put our faith in the experience we are setting ourselves up for a huge let down.  If we put our faith in God, then the experience is part of connecting with God and not the end all event that makes all things perfect. 

The Spirit is like the wind that blows where it will and our job is to capture the wind and let wind drive us.  I love the story of St. Brenden, how he would get in a boat without a rudder, let the wind drive it to where it wanted, then get out and share his faith.  He was a pilgrim - and so are we.  This world is not eternal, it’s not our home, so we shouldn’t put all of our stake in it and think the point of the Spirit is to make all our problems go away in this life.

Here’s what I know, the mainline Christian who believes they received the Holy Spirit at salvation believes that they should daily ask and be filled with the Spirit after salvation.  The charismatic Christian believes even after the second blessing they need fresh and new anointings.  Without new and fresh anointings, no matter how powerful your “baptism” or “filling” was, you will spiritually dry up.  You have to have more and they must be ongoing.  SO THEN WE ALL NEED TO CONTINUE TO DAILY ASK GOD TO FILL US!!!! 

Point being - we put so much emphasis on a single experience to be the end all - that we forget
that experience is to launch us out, not hold us in port.  Following Jesus and being filled with the Spirit is about adventure and journey - not 3 little steps. 

Part of the problem is we want answers.  Why can’t we simply enjoy the mystery?  We may not have all the answers, but we have all of the Spirit that lives inside of us and wants an intimate relationship with us.  If we have the power source, we also have the confidence that God the Holy Spirit will do what God knows is best.  Sometimes the toughest times I’ve gone through, have been ordained from God and the Spirit was there to walk with me.  The result was I discovered God in ways I had never known and matured to a whole new level. 

I’m convinced walking in the Spirit isn’t science, its art - and the canvas is waiting to be painted on!