Live from your spirit, not your mind

"The mind makes a wonderful servant, but a terrible master." - Bill Johnson

I'll never forget the day Holy Spirit told me I was created to live from my spirit, NOT my mind. This past fall, while praying together with my community, I experienced often being "overwhelmed in the Spirit." As some were laying hands on me and praying, I would suddenly become overwhelmed by a sense of God's presence and feel a need to either lay down or fall down (whichever came first). As I lay on the ground, Holy Spirit would speak to me, comfort me, cause me to shake, overflow with tongues and always leave me feeling rested and rejuvenated in body and soul. As wave after wave of God's presence rolled over me, one thing was certain - my mind felt like it had been put into "neutral;" it was on, but not really engaged. I asked Holy Spirit what was going on in me and he shared two pictures:

1. The first was of a carriage pulled by horses with a rider cracking a whip on the horses, guiding their direction. Holy Spirit explained that while the world I live in exalts the mind to the place of supremacy in virtually all matters, God created me to live from my spirit, NOT my mind. He went on to tell me that while my mind has sat in the driver's seat, cracking the whip on my other faculties (spirit, body, emotions, will), I was created to live from my spirit. As Holy Spirit dwells inside my spirit, my thoughts, emotions, decisions and body all take the lead from my spirit. Take for instance the time Peter gets out of the boat and walks on water. Everyone "knows" you don't walk on water, but something rose up in Peter when he heard Jesus call him out on the water. Holy Spirit rose up inside Peter in that moment and suddenly Peter's spirit is in the driver's seat, overwhelming rationality with Holy Spirituality! Notice it was when Peter allowed his mind back in the driver's seat that he "saw the wind, he became afraid and began to sink (Matt. 14:30)." 
2. The second picture was of an automobile stick-shift in the neutral position. Holy Spirit showed me that it was a gift from him that my mind was so still. He had overwhelmed my mind with peace so that I could begin to discern the activity of my spirit. He shared that I've spent so many years with my mind as the dominant source for decisions, emotions, reactions, etc, that it would take some time to learn to live from my spirit. It begins by learning to be sensitive to your spirit within you. We've given so much attention to the voice of our emotions, thoughts and physical bodies that we've neglected our spirits. As I lay there on the floor with my mind in neutral, I was amazed at the powerful activity happening inside of me between Holy Spirit and my spirit. "Eric," Holy Spirit said, "it's time to learn to live from your spirit; you are a spirit-person before you are a physical person."

I'm learning that when my mind is in the driver's seat I live in lots of fear, insecurity, anger, frustration as I find myself always scheming, always trying to figure life out, plan for the future, and create increasing security for myself and family. When I live from my inner-man, where Holy Spirit is in fellowship with my spirit, I find myself full of peace, joy, love and all the clarity I ever need for any situation. I find that Holy Spirit schemes enough for the both of us and that He always has a plan - a perfect one - and He wants to reveal it to me! When I live from my mind I find myself working very hard in life, asking Holy Spirit to bless MY endeavors. When I live from my spirit I find myself floating down the river of His life and peace (Romans 8:6).

Here's a few scriptures Holy Spirit has encouraged me with:

• "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared fro those who love him - BUT GOD HAS REVEALED IT TO US BY HIS SPIRIT...We have not received the spirit of the world but the spirit who is from God that we may understand what God has freely given us...The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to them, and they cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:9, 12, 14)."
• "God is spirit and his worshipers must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24)."
• The Spirit testifies with our spirit...(Romans 8:16)."
• "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you (John 14:26)."