Sailors of The Spirit

While in church this morning, I was reminded of a piece I’ve wanted to write in this space for a long time. A reminder, or a primer if you will, of what it really means to fully “live unfiltered for God.” Or, to use the verbiage of my Pastor, what it means to be a “Pneumanaut”. (More on that phrase later.) I’m not going to go back to the origin of the idea and when God gave it to me, (you can read about that here), but more a refresher of what it looks like to go through life ready, willing, and able to act on what we hear the Holy Spirit telling, prompting, or nudging us to do.

I want to start by saying that we have a responsibility as Christians, to act on what we hear The Holy Spirit speak. It’s called obedience. We don’t like that word much though, do we? It has negative connotations, especially when it comes to us having to do the obeying. Our kids? Sure, obedience is a good thing. Especially when they are younger, and we know better than they do what’s best for them, so yes, obedience is a good thing! This is a good place for you to remember your ultimate identity, though – we are God’s kids! Let me say that again, slightly differently – YOU, sir, are God’s son. YOU, ma’am, are God’s daughter. Don’t you think He wants the best for you, just like (or even more) than you want the best for your own children? (See Matthew 7:11.)

John Ortberg, in his book The Life You’ve Always Wanted introduces a phrase that I have come to absolutely love. He says we must be “relentlessly responsive” to the voice of the Holy Spirt. There are many reasons for this, not the least of which is that we are called to be obedient. But also, the more we hear, or know, or that is revealed to us, the greater the responsibility we have to act on it. Greater knowledge implies greater accountability. This is a principle that can be found throughout scripture. As my friend and spiritual mentor Rick Sizemore taught me a long time ago, the measure of our revelation should dictate the measure of our response. (Just chew on that thought for a minute… or sixty.)

Another take on this, in the words of John Stickl (from his book Follow the Cloud):

“In other words, whatever you do with what God said yesterday will determine what you will hear tomorrow. Our ability to hear what God wants to say is determined by what we have done with what God has already said. God isn’t careless with His words. They contain so much life and so much power that He entrusts them to those who will use them wisely. Obedience is how we steward God’s voice.” (p. 140).

“Obedience is how we steward God’s voice.” There’s another thought to just let percolate for another minute (or sixty.)

Since I’m really trying to drive home the importance of all of this, here’s one more nugget to chew on. Pete Grieg, in his book How to Hear God states:

“Talk to people who hear God in extraordinary ways, and you will invariably discover lives of extraordinary sacrifice. There’s a sort of holy dance between God’s word and our response. He speaks and we obey, and the more we obey, the more he seems to speak... Sometimes God pauses from speaking simply because he is waiting for us to act on the things he has already revealed to us.” (p.133).

Okay, so we’re supposed to be obedient. We are supposed to act on what we hear. Got it! But there’s something else at work in all of this. And I can hear you asking it even as I write this…

How do I hear Him? How do I actually here the voice of the Holy Spirit?

On the one hand, there’s a lot to it, as you would imagine. (Anyone who reads this blog often, will know we’ve addressed this concept many times before.) On the other hand, it’s not as difficult as we often make it. At it’s simplest, it’s just a matter of being quiet and listening. Another great way to hear God’s voice is in Scripture. If you go to Him with a question and then open your Bible and start reading, it often won’t be long until you start getting some answers – through His voice coming through the words you’re reading.

Another way to hear His voice is through the words of others. I have joked many times that the Holy Spirit’s voice sounds an awful lot like that of my wife! (And sometimes my Pastor, and sometimes dear friends, and even occasionally, complete strangers.)

The main point here is to be constantly listening. This brings us back to that word Pneumanaut…. Pneuma is the Greek word for spirit, meaning breath or wind of God. The suffix naut, comes from the Greek work naútēs, which means “sailor”. Just, then, as the term astronaut is used as for a “sailor of the stars”, the word pneumanaut can be used to represent a “sailor of the Spirit.” Or, as we’ve been saying here, one who is constantly listening for the voice and direction of, and then being obedient to the words and direction of, the Holy Spirit.

My prayer for you is that it becomes easier for you to hear His voice. And that the more you hear it, the more you are able to obey it. Thus, leading you to hear it more. And so on, and so on…

(Original artwork by Barbara Sanders)