Reversing our tragic neglect of the Holy Spirit
Francis Chan's books, Crazy Love and Forgotten God, are both powerfully convicting books due to Chan's ability to understand, reveal, and rebuke his readers for their sin - even their sin towards reading his books! Reading develops knowledge and understanding of truth. And as Scripture tells us, if we know what we should do, but do not do it, that is sin. Therefore, as readers we must actively apply the truth we learn, or else we will find ourselves in sin (all the while, boasting in our wisdom). Through reading Chan's words I have been personally convicted that I often respond to a book by saying “what a good message, sooo convicting….” yet, I won't APPLY those “good messages” and therefore my life is only changed by a fraction of what I read, despite the teaching of faithful pastors and authors. Chan demands more from his readers, and I'm thankful for that.
Chan's book, Forgotten God, did not only teach me about the Holy Spirit, but how the Holy Spirit affects (or rather, should affect) my life. His aim is to reveal WHY we want the Holy Spirit in our lives. We may have our own purposes for desiring the Spirit’s presence and power in our lives, but so does God and His desires have everything to do with the church’s growth and God’s glory. We are meant to follow, not be followed-by, the Holy Spirit. Chan asks, “Did God lead you to where you are? ...If you say you are called to be in the place you are, a few questions need to be considered…” The Spirit may lead you anywhere, to a different city, to a different state, to a different country, to stay where you are and spend your time in very different ways than you are now, He could lead you toward actions like in 2 Samuel 6, where David danced before the Lord “with all his might” (v 14). Others were shamed by his undignified display of worship to God, yet David said that he didn’t care and that he would become even more undignified for the sake of the Lord. All he cared about was worshiping his God. Chan reminds you that the Holy Spirit is about getting more of worshiping God, not about answers, power, miracles, or self-glorification. His book makes you worship God – love the Holy Spirit – and evaluate what it looks like to follow Him today, tomorrow, and the next day.
I was surprisingly refreshed by Forgotten God, and only wish I had read it sooner!
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