WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING FROM HOLY SPIRIT?

Something hilarious happened today.

Being a self-help junkie I’m familiar with many of the books out there on self-discipline and habits, but I loved Stephen Guise’s book “Mini-Habits.” It makes habits doable and I’ve used his ideas. I was excited when he began sending emails about his next book. (When I say “habits” I mean how I actually do the things that are important to me—God time, writing time, and some form of exercise.)

His new book came out a few days ago (“Elastic Habits”) and I bought it immediately.

He has also created an “Elastic Habits Deluxe Kit” to help with using his ideas. He’s having a drawing for it and I checked it out but decided I could make my own. However, it was so easy to enter the drawing, I did.

Today I’ve been inspired to think about my goals for next year. I’m feeling the pressure to figure out what I’m going to do. I also don’t want to wait so long (like last year) that I don’t have my plan ready by January first. I’m thinking about what I want to measure, and how. What I want to plan, track, lay out, obsess over, care about, and/or express.

Running errands today I gave Holy Spirit a speech, telling him how much I need his help with being able to accomplish anything. I need to know what to do differently this year (compared to the other years when I’ve struggled to stick with my plans). I need him to help me.

As I sat at the grocery waiting on my son to come out, I received an email from Stephen Guise saying I’d won the first of three giveaways of his kit!

Wish I’d entered for a million dollars. As I laughed hysterically and sent Stephen my mailing address, I suddenly remembered my prayer about help with my goals this year. Hmm, think it’s God?

I’m still laughing over it. After my talk with Holy Spirit earlier I’m going to take it more seriously than I was (still cracking up though).

However, it has gotten me thinking about what I expected from Holy Spirit. I have to admit that, as many times as God has come through physically for me, I wasn’t expecting a tangible response this time. I guess I expected him to give me more self-discipline, or endow me with strength to be perfectly organized and have the willpower to sit down daily and do what I feel is important. Maybe he could make it easier for me to get up at 5:00 AM and work an hour before breakfast. You know, like let me wake naturally a few minutes before the alarm goes off, excited and ready to jump out of bed, every single day.

Holy Spirit doesn’t make us do anything (sometimes I can’t help but feel that’s unfortunate). I have the choice of what I get done each day. He has placed in me a passion for doing and being who he created me to be, but I’m responsible for getting my act together and making my life happen.

The wonderful thing is, though, that he provides the tools we need to help us. Whether they’re spiritual tools or physical tools, he will make them available as we need them. Even knowing this I was floored when Holy Spirit gave me the physical tools I needed.

My challenge to you is this—what are you specifically asking Holy Spirit for and what are your expectations? Be watching, he may not answer in the way you’re expecting!