The Missing Member of the Trinity

I had an epiphany a while ago and it’s been rocking my world!

I was driving alone in my car the other day pondering:

• What happened to the Holy Spirit in Evangelical Christianity? He definitely gets less than His fair share of attention. Theologically, the Holy Spirit is an equal member of the Trinity, but unless you attend a Charismatic or Pentecostal church, He is pretty much ignored…
• Sure, we tell people that they will receive the Holy Spirit when they trust in Jesus to be their Savior… We might mention that He is called the Comforter or Helper (John 14:15-26) or that He is the guarantee of our salvation (2 Corinthians 1:21-22). But most of us don’t talk about Him, and we definitely don’t pray to Him.
• Is it because we don’t know what to do with the Holy Spirit? Maybe we’re afraid of Him or unsure about Him, so, we just ignore Him. We talk about God and Jesus and leave it at that.

I sat there thinking, wishing I knew more about the Holy Spirit, feeling like I was missing something when it hit me. According to the Bible, the Holy Spirit is the One I know the best!

What? And that’s when my mind started getting blown. I love it when God does this.

The Bible tells us that God the Father is in Heaven; Jesus is in Heaven sitting at God’s right hand; but the Holy Spirit… The Holy Spirit is the One here with me.

It’s hard to explain the emotion that exploded in my heart. It was as if I’d grown up knowing I had a missing sibling and then suddenly found out that they had been my best friend for the past ten years. If that makes any sense…

It was an “Oh, it’s You!” moment.

I called Him Jesus, but it was actually the Holy Spirit who became real to me when I was 15 years old, helped me to see the lies in Bill Gothard’s teachings, and started my questioning and rebelling against the cultic teachings of my church. The Holy Spirit is the one who brought me to my Christian summer camp and showed me grace, freedom, and love. I’ve gotten to know Him over the years. I’ve felt His Presence. We’ve talked and laughed together. He explains the Bible to me and reminds me of verses I need to hear. He is the one who gives me strength. He gave me peace through my miscarriages, and helped me to trust when I didn’t think I could. He gives me the ability to forgive my husband and have patience with my children.

I’ve called Him Jesus but He is really the missing member of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit! And just writing those words makes me smile. 🙂

You might be thinking that it doesn’t matter who we pray to or who we call God because they are all the same. While I don’t think it matters to God, I do think it matters to us.

My life has been rocked by realizing that the Holy Spirit is with me. Praying to Him seemed almost wrong at first (which is silly because I say that I believe He is God, just like the Father and Jesus) but now I love it. It makes the literal part of my brain connect somehow with the spiritual part.

Maybe it’s because I know that God and Jesus aren’t actually here, even though I believe they can hear me. But the Holy Spirit, He is literally right here with me. And when I recognize that and talk to Him, it just does something to my heart and my faith.

All of this brings up a question: Why ignore the Holy Spirit?

Why do so many churches, especially the conservative ones, ignore this amazing member of the Trinity? Is it because the Spirit isn’t easily understandable? Explainable? Boxable? We can put God in a box, Jesus kind of goes in a box, but how in the world do you box the Spirit? He is untamed, wild and free. And I love that.

What would happen if we actually believed in the Holy Spirit, that He is God, that He is always with us, and that one of  His jobs is to be our Helper as we live our life on earth? It’s kind of scary if I’m honest. It makes life seem a little less my own, which is probably the point.

But despite the fear and against the independence of my rebellious heart I have to wonder… What if we are missing out on something amazing?

I think  there is more to this than we realize…and I am going to keep thinking, pondering, and believing! I want everything that being a child of God gives me. I want to find out what it means to HAVE the Holy Spirit in all of His power and fullness!