Guided By God

 "Any way the wind blows doesn’t really matter to me, to me.”

Quote from "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen

In His conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus compared the reality and operation of the Holy Spirit to that of wind:  one can feel and easily observe the effect of the wind, but the wind itself is not visible to our eyes.  When a person places their faith in Jesus Christ, we are filled with the Holy Spirit Who regenerates and guides us into all truth.  As a sailor adjusts the sails of a ship to best catch the wind, so we are propelled in ministry by the power of God as we yield to the Holy Spirit.  God's word could be compared to the rudder captained by Christ Who guides us in the correct direction of how to conduct our lives, examine our hearts, love one another and walk in obedience to God.  Unlike a rowboat that depends upon our limited strength and coordination or a motorboat where the occupants passively rely on a machine powered by petrol, we are to look to the LORD to guide us in His strength.

I was reminded of the lyrics of the popular Queen song "Bohemian Rhapsody" when I considered Ephesians 2:1-3:  "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, ² in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, ³ among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others."  In this letter to believers in Ephesus, Paul described their life before coming to faith in Jesus Christ--a life by going wherever the wind blows.  Such a life is an aimless and likely nihilistic existence that, as the song suggests, ends in death without even caring.  It is no wonder Satan is called the "prince of the power of the air," a wicked, deceitful being who blows people towards ruin and eternal destruction by their lusts, flesh and minds.

Matthew Henry described the conduct of the life of Christians before they had faith in Jesus like this:  "Wicked men as slaves to Satan.  The course and tenor of their lives are according to his suggestions; they are subject to him, and are held captive by him at his will, whereupon he is called the god of this world, and the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience." (Church, Leslie F. Commentary on the Whole Bible by Matthew Henry Genesis to Revelation. Zondervan, 1974. page 1850)  Satan is a liar, thief and murderer from the beginning, and this deceiver and enemy of the souls of men easily convinces them they alone are the masters of their destiny, to live like a god before whom all others must bow.  In reality this one is enslaved mind and body to Satan, their own passions and lusts, is blind to the chains that bind them, and senseless of the wrath of God they face.  Led by everywhere the wind blows, whatever feels good, or in pursuit of fulfilling desires, the unbeliever is like a coin dropped into a donation funnel:  though the coin circles time and time again, ultimately gravity pulls it beyond our sight and it is plunged into darkness.  Unlike donation boxes that can fill up, the grave stays hungry.

Rather than resisting and grieving the Holy Spirit by disobedience, we are to submit to God as His beloved children and do what pleases Him.  The Holy Spirit always empowers and guides us righteously as we read in passages like Ephesians 4:29-32:  "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. ³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. ³² And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you."  We are saved by faith in Jesus, and we are to live by faith in Him, looking to Jesus to guide us as the Holy Spirit moves us.  By God's grace we can know truth from error, repent of our sin, and walk righteously.