ALONE OR LONELY?

Acts 2:1-4:

"When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them."

At times during the busyness of the day, I long to be alone without phone notifications going off, TV noise, "to do" lists going around in my head; and I yearn for the stillness and silence I sense when God is present, when I feel the Spirit of God gently moving in the room and in my soul.

Do you feel like this at times?

Is this sense of wanting to be alone different from loneliness?

Loneliness, or at least my impression of it, is not wanting to be alone. It's the person we see spending 2 hours drinking a coffee in a cafe, because they have nowhere else to be. It's the person we always see on the same bench when out walking, always alone. It's the couple in a restaurant, alone in their own thoughts, and not communicating with each other. We can be in a room full of people, but we can still feel isolated, alone or invisible.

That is why it is important that we separate what we feel, from what we know. In our loneliness, our instinct is often to withdraw and isolate ourselves even further, but that only intensifies how we feel!

The good news of Pentecost is that we are never alone; the Spirit of God has been given to "all people."

After Jesus' crucifixion, the Apostles experienced a complex mix of fear and confusion, so they hid behind closed doors. Even though they were together, they had a history of struggling with unity with each other, they were often self willed and self promoting. (Mark 9:33-34, Luke 9:46-47)

Then 10 days after Jesus' ascension, on the day of Pentecost, everything changed! They were aware something significant was going to happen, because Jesus had told them before His ascension, (Acts 1:7-8) but what exactly?

The Holy Spirit descended upon them and they started speaking in different languages.

Can you imagine how they must have felt at that moment?

Instead of fear, they must have been filled with awe and wonder, the Holy Spirit emboldened them right there to start preaching in the streets of Jerusalem. A radical transformation took place, instead of competing with each other, the disciples were co-operating, instead of conflict, they were now collaborating. (Acts 2:46-47)

Without exception, "all" of the 120 people waiting in the upper room in Jerusalem for what Jesus had promised, were "filled with the Holy Spirit." All people!

We are not alone!

The Holy Spirit brings Jesus alive in us. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter, our Counsellor and Guide ( John 14-16) as well as the empowerer (Luke 24:49); and the source of daily strength and guidance in our lives. Jesus, opens our eyes to the life that is available to us, when we align our hearts and minds with the Spirit.

There is a void, or a lack in our souls, that most of us are aware of but we don't often talk about it.

This is a God-breathed space that only the Spirit of God can fill. It is a space for relationship, a spiritual space for us and the Holy Spirit to do life together. It is a space of nurture and companionship, but also it is preparing and equipping us for God's work in this world.

How does this journey with the Holy Spirit begin, or continue if it has been interrupted?

Well..... It's easy! Jesus tells us in Luke 11:9:

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

What a glorious promise Jesus presents here! He could not be any clearer.

Approach God in prayer with boldness and confidence, our Heavenly Father is eager to respond. It's that simple!

Isn't that amazing!

God bless