In our fast paced society, it is absolutely critical we do things in God’s strength and not our own. Burnout is now considered to be the biggest occupational hazard in the 21st-century. Some estimate that burnout has gone up 500% in the past ten years. Burnout is a problem both in the workplace and in ministry. According to the New York Times (August 1, 2010), 45% of Pastors suffer from burnout.
Today, I would like to talk about how to rely on the supernatural strength and empowerment of the Holy Spirit; how to develop an eagle mentality. We can learn how to slow down, wait on the Lord and depend on his strength to get us through the challenges of life.
Recently, we were in Ethiopia for a Festival of Hope & Miracles and just before the first night of the Festival, I watched an eagle fly around outside of my hotel room. That eagle flew around for hours and seemed to be enjoying itself. Most of the time it wasn’t flapping its wings but seemed to be gliding on the air currents.
I believe this is what God is looking for in us, as believers. God is looking for us to expend less of our own energy and strength and depend more on the wind of the Spirit to get us to our destination. Eagles fly on air currents that take them higher and higher. It’s only as we learn to rely on the strength of the Holy Spirit, that God can take us to new levels of glory.
When the storms come in, the winds increase, the Eagles will ride above that storm and use the strength of the wind to fly higher and higher. God desires that we have this same mindset. As the tests and trials of life come, God looks to lift us to higher places to build character and bring us to new levels of promotion.
I want encourage you today maybe you’re facing some storms. Gods wants you have the eagle mindset. Eagles aren’t intimidated by storms; they know they can use those storms to take them higher. If you have that mindset, as you face your storm, God will turn that storm from something that threatens to break you, into something that will transform and make you.
A chicken, on the other hand, doesn’t have the ability to fly. It’s usually cooped up in a chicken coop. It is usually fairly happy in its little world. When the storms come the chicken will go running; anything to get away from that kind of difficulty. Chickens are small minded, small hearted and have limited vision.
Eagles on the other hand can see far the distance. They have a vantage point that a chicken will never have. Today I believe God wants to give you the eyes of the Eagle.
John 4:33-35 tells us “The disciples therefore said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work. Don’t you say, ‘There are yet four months until the harvest?’ Behold, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and look at the fields, that they are white for harvest already.”
The disciples had a chicken mindset. They were focused on what they were going to eat. Jesus had an eagle mindset he saw things differently. He saw the harvest right there in front of them and the harvest in the future. He saw the Samaritan woman and her village and the future harvest that would come from the Samaritan and the Gentile nations. He could see way off into the distance.
It can be very easy to get to get bogged down with to the difficulties and busyness of life. Today, I want encourage you take a step back and spend some time waiting on the Lord. As you do you’ll renew your strength and you’ll start to mount up with wings like an Eagle. You’re start to see things differently. God will release his strength to you to and lift you to new heights in the things of God.
Jesus told the disciples to wait in in the city of Jerusalem. It’s not always an easy thing to wait. But waiting on God gives us a chance to rest, a chance to get recharged; to spent time with Him. As the disciples waited, all of a sudden something wonderful happened. Suddenly, they began to experience the wind of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2)
A mighty rushing wind began to fill that place and those people were transformed. All of a sudden they were transformed from chickens to Eagles. Before they were shy, timid and fearful and now they filled were filled the boldness and fire the Holy Spirit. They began to mount up with wings like Eagles. They began to run and not grow weary, to walk and not faint.
Today I would like to speak words of encouragement to you; it’s never a waste of time to wait on God. Learning how to walk in His ways and His timing is critical in the Christian life. There are no shortcuts to moving in the power of the Holy spirit. It takes spending time with Jesus.
I once asked the great Argentinian Evangelist and revivalist Carlos Anacondia, what his secret was to moving in the power of the Holy Spirit and he said the same thing: “The are no shortcuts, it takes time in prayer, spending time crying out to God in prayer and sitting at the feet of Jesus.” There is no secret formula; sometimes the price you have to pay is waiting on God.
Luke 10:40-42 tells us “But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him (Jesus) and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed – or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
There is only one thing worth being concerned about and Mary has discovered it. Mary, was the one who sat at the feet of Jesus, she knew where her effort should be focussed. She knew there was only one thing worth being concerned with – spending time with Jesus. She knew if she could do that, then everything else could be done in the strength and power of the Holy Spirit.
Today, I’m not encouraging laziness or lack of discipline when it comes to the things of God. But I am saying there are time we can be spinning our wheels, being very busy and getting nowhere. You can go run around like a chicken being real busy in your own strength or you can learn to fly and soar on the wind and strength of the Holy Spirit, the choice is yours. I want encourage you today, you can achieve and accomplish much more in life, if you learn how to soar on the wind of the Holy Spirit.
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