I recently had to replace my air conditioning and furnace, and during the days when I waited for the scheduled installation, I sweated away in my home. I came to realize how much I relied on and took for granted the cool breeze of the air-conditioned air swirling all around me. Once the new air conditioner was installed and the cool air was back on, I felt instantly comfortable and relaxed.
Since we had just recently celebrated Pentecost, it came to me that my experience with the air conditioner is like what happens when the wind of the Holy Spirit is around us and surrounds us. We feel comfort, peace and relaxation when the Holy Spirit blows upon us. We are given a sense of calm and that everything will be alright. Without it, we are unsettled and uncomfortable. Consider these verses:
Jesus said to them … , “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” —John 20:21-22
[Jesus said,] “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” —John 14:25-27
Notice how peace and the power of the Holy Spirit are connected. The Holy Spirit is not something to be feared or ignored. It is not something we can live without. It is something to be embraced and enjoyed. We have a God who is with us through the Holy Spirit and we can feel its presence every day. Think about that when you hear or feel an air conditioner kick on. The Holy Spirit is on the move.