We drove out to Asheville recently. It was a cloudy and cool day. We were hoping to see some leaf color and go to the Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands at the civic center. I have noticed that some leaves have been turning in our area, so I was hopeful we might really see some good color on our trip. We got to Hickory and there was no change in the amount of color. It wasn’t until we hit one of the last couple ridges on the outskirts of Asheville that we started to see some leaf color.
I was afraid we weren’t going to see any color as I crossed the first couple of ridges. Then as we crossed another ridge the color appeared dramatically. Some of the ridges looked to be in full fall colors. I wished the sun would break through the clouds to reveal the vibrant variety of color on some of those mountainsides. An artist would have struggled to capture the beauty of those leaves on the side of the mountains.
God does some incredible work each fall as he unleashes his creativity through the fall foliage. I was reminded of a grade-school lesson recently while reading the paper. The story revealed the secret to God’s magical ability to bring the beauty of fall colors. The secret is chlorophyll. The green we see in leaves is the chlorophyll that is working hard with the leaf to create food for the tree. In the fall, the chlorophyll withdraws from the leaves and we get to see nature’s fireworks.
The chlorophyll in the leaves helps with the process of photosynthesis. This process releases oxygen into the atmosphere as a waste product and helps to feed and sustain the plant or tree.
In many ways, I believe this is a great illustration of how the Holy Spirit works within us. God needs us to be filled with the Holy Spirit so he can work through us to bring life and hope to the world around us.
Some people believe they can accomplish things without God in their lives. I wonder how much greater things they could accomplish if God were working through them? When God is in us he supernaturally energizes us to accomplish more than we can ever imagine. It’s God’s creativity that can guide us to solutions that we never considered. It’s his inspiration that can impart divine wisdom.
I believe being filled with God’s spirit is very much like the chlorophyll in leaves. Leaves cannot accomplish their purpose without chlorophyll. The leaves’ purpose is to provide life-sustaining food and energy to the plant or tree, and that is done through the chlorophyll.
In order for us to fulfill our divine purpose we need the Holy Spirit in us, working through us so we can accomplish God’s plan.
When we invite the Holy Spirit to fill us, we are inviting God’s power to reside in us.
What can God’s power do within us? I believe the only limits are the ones we place on God. Jesus taught us that if we were his disciples, we would do the things he did. Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead and brought forgiveness and salvation to the broken human soul. So, through the Holy Spirit, we can do the same things.
Leaves release life-giving oxygen into the air. As Christians, we carry God inside of us, so we should be releasing his Holy Spirit to those around us so they can have life and hope.
Like the leaves releasing oxygen, we need to learn to release God’s Holy Spirit into every situation in our lives. God can use us to touch people’s lives and to change their circumstances if we would allow him to work through us.
We can release hope, forgiveness and mercy through our words. We can release healing and restoration through our prayers. When we allow God to live through us we are going to change the world around us.
I want to encourage you to ask God to fill you with his Holy Spirit every day. We need to be refilled every day so we can give away all we receive. God doesn’t want you to save it up for yourself. The spirit is meant to be given away so we can receive a greater portion, which we will ultimately give away. It’s a beautiful thing when we can be life and hope to the world around us, and when we share the Holy Spirit with others that is exactly what we are doing.
Doug Creamer teachers at East Davidson High School. Contact him at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041 or email doug@dougcreamer.com.