Breathing

It’s that time of year when allergies attack!  For some people it becomes a miserable endurance of coughing and sneezing.  If left unchecked it can cause something more troubling like bronchitis.  Worsening allergies affect breathing.

We don’t really pay attention to breathing overall and yet it’s vital to survival.  From the moment we are born, we are breathing in order to sustain life.  Quality of life is affected when breathing is made difficult, perhaps through something like bronchitis, asthma, or emphysema. We are not at our best when we cannot breathe properly.

Did you know it’s the same in our spiritual world?  We are not our spiritual best if we are not breathing properly.  When we are “born again” as Jesus talks about in the New Testament, He is referring to spiritual birth.  The New Testament, originally written in Greek, talks about the Holy Spirit that comes to us when we experience the second birth.  The Greek word used for the Spirit is pneuma which translates as breath.    When we receive Jesus Christ into our lives, the Holy Spirit begins breathing in us to help us to sustain spiritual life.  In John 20:22 we read, “Jesus breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.'”  A spiritual life cannot be attained without the Holy Spirit and it cannot be maintained if the Holy Spirit is ignored.

The Holy Spirit is our comforter and teacher.  He gives strength and wisdom, joy and peace.  It is our communion with God that keeps our spiritual ears and heart receptive to hear and know the guiding of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  When we ignore that communion, something happens: we become spiritually sick.  When we are not breathing properly, we begin to weaken.  Our senses are dulled to know the way forward. We struggle to breathe in joy.  Peace fades away.  Ignoring how well we are breathing, physically or spiritually, will only worsen our symptoms.

Our every breath is necessary to walk in good health.  Today and everyday, may you take deep, full breaths of the Holy Spirit, letting Him fill your senses with the knowledge of Father’s immeasurable love, His guidance, wisdom, and His peace and joy.

Breathe physically and walk strong; breathe spiritually and do the same.