The Unhindered Flow: Living from the Spirit Within
From the moment of our new birth in Christ, God placed His Spirit within us—not as a fleeting influence, but as a permanent, life-giving presence. Yet, many believers live as though they are spiritually dry, striving to produce joy, peace, and strength rather than drawing from the abundant supply already within them. The problem is never a lack of the Spirit’s presence but whether we are allowing His life to rise and overflow.
Like an artesian well, the Holy Spirit dwells deep within us, fully supplied and always ready to flow. But just as a well must be tapped to release its waters, we must yield to the Spirit to experience the fullness of His life. The question is not whether we have the Spirit, but whether we are living from His fullness or capping the well with self-reliance and doubt.
Living as Though the Well Is Dry
A believer may unknowingly restrict the Spirit’s flow, attempting to live by their own strength. This often manifests in several ways:
Striving instead of resting – Trying to "be better," "do more," or "be spiritual" in our own effort, as if the Christian life depends on us rather than Christ living through us.
Leaning on human wisdom – Making decisions based on logic, emotions, or circumstances instead of trusting the Spirit’s guidance.
Measuring by feelings – Doubting the Spirit’s presence or power because we do not feel spiritual or perceive dramatic experiences.
Clinging to self-sufficiency – Acting as though we must manufacture joy, peace, or love instead of drawing from the Spirit’s endless supply.
Allowing the Spirit to Rise and Overflow
Instead of blocking the flow of the Spirit’s life, we can allow His fullness to rise within us by:
Recognizing His Indwelling – Acknowledging the settled truth that the Spirit dwells within us. His presence is not something we must attain; it is already ours.
Trusting in His Work – Even when we do not see or feel immediate results, we trust that He is actively working within us, just as an underground spring continually flows.
Yielding in Dependence – Rather than striving, we moment-by-moment surrender our thoughts, emotions, and actions to Him, allowing His life to be expressed through us.
Resting in His Sufficiency – We do not beg for what has already been given. Instead, we rest in the confidence that His life will naturally manifest as we cease from self-effort.
The Overflow Is the Natural Result
When we remove the barriers of self-reliance and doubt, the Spirit’s life naturally rises and spills over—manifesting as love, peace, joy, and Christlikeness. We do not force the water to flow; we simply allow it to rise. Others will see Christ in us, not because we are striving to produce something, but because His life is freely flowing from within.
Just as an artesian well does not need to be pumped, the Spirit’s life does not need to be manufactured. It simply needs to be unhindered.
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Devotional excerpt from Abide Above, featuring A.M. Photo credit: Unsplash.