ultimate third person

Today we're with Lewis as he discusses the Trinity in the February 7^th selection from A Year with C.S. Lewis.

He makes some good points here, helping us to begin to see what the Trinity means. The Trinity is a mystery, which pretty much means we'll never fully understand it. But God doesn't tell us about Himself for us to go “Oh, I'll never understand that.” and move on. We SHOULD contemplate it. And that contemplation brings us closer to Him. It's kind of like when I would talk to my girlfriend. I knew there was no chance that I would ever fully understand her. She is, after all, female. And therefore inscrutable to us males. But asking her questions and hearing her talk, I do get to know her better. I don't know so much ABOUT her, as I get to KNOW her personally. I learn to see what she's like. I learn that I can trust her.

So it is with God. We will never be able to completely understand Him. His ways are far above ours... and so are His thoughts. But in contemplating Him, and spending time with Him, and talking to Him... I become better acquainted with Him.

So when Lewis tells us that the eternal love that is exchanged between the Father and the Son, from before the beginning of time until after time ends, actually produces another person, the Holy Spirit, it does boggle our mind. We are tempted to think about how the love between man and woman causes another person to come into existence. And to a point, that comparison does help us see how love can cause such amazing things to happen. But of course the analogy is also limited. There was no “reproduction” involved, no mitosis or meiosis or any other kind. All three members of the Trinity have always existed. That's where we slide into the mystery and it moves out of our ability to comprehend.

But one other thing that Lewis says that is useful is that the Holy Spirit is within us. That's a good thing to realize. That this part of the Trinity is what is at work within us, helping us to pray, guiding us in wanting to do His will. And that's maybe where the rubber hits the road in today's devotional thought. Whatever we need in our lives, we ask God for it. And the way He often gives it to us is through the Holy Spirit. If you feel like you need more God in your life, I encourage you to ask Him for the Holy Spirit to flood your life. To fill you up, and drive out all that is preventing Him from helping you to become the person you were created to be.

Once again, that's a prayer He's going to answer with “yes”.

Thank You, God, for the Holy Spirit, which helps us to do Your will.