Waiting on the Spirit?

One of the books I’m reading through right now is Robert’s Rules of Writing.  In this book Robert Masello gives 101 unconventional lessons on writing.  Number 9 is “Lose the Muse”.

The Muse in case you are unaware is

“the embodiment of inspiration, usually portrayed as a comely woman loosely draped in a diaphanous gown—is what every writer longs for.  Once she appears, you’re supposed to be able to write effortlessly, at the height of your powers, with an unequaled command and energy and zest.”  (18)

Some writers will sit and wait for inspiration before they begin writing.  To this silly notion Masello encourages writers to “stop worrying about where she [the muse] is, and focus instead on doing the work at hand, she is most likely to put in a surprise appearance.” 

I wonder how many times Christian writers (or even those pursuing evangelistic efforts or anything else which puts us in desperate dependence on the Spirit) sit around wait for the Christian version of “The Muse”; namely, the Holy Spirit. 

One verse that can give credence to this notion of “waiting on the muse to show up” is Acts 1:4-5. 

And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Acts 1:4-5 ESV)

In other words, don’t do anything until you’ve received empowerment from the Spirit.  I have heard--and sadly been guilty of--using this verse to not engage in a ministry endeavor until we have received a thumbs up from the Lord and empowerment from the Spirit.  Which, of course, is true in that “apart from me you can do nothing” and ministry apart from the Spirit doesn’t deserve to be called ministry. 

Yet, it is also true that the promise of the Spirit that the disciples were to wait for has already been given.  We can’t recreate Acts 1:4-5 nor should we.  After the day of Pentecost we aren’t called to sit around and wait on an indwelling of the Spirit.  No, once you become a believer that indwelling happens.

What happens after Pentecost is that the words of Jesus in Matthew 10:19 are fulfilled.  “Do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour”.  How does that happen?  It happens through the Spirit empowering common ordinary men like Peter and John and making them bold before a Sanhedrin.  It happens through a group of believers gathering together, reciting Scripture, praying for boldness and then going out opening their mouths believing that the Lord answered their prayer. 

Pray? Yes, of course.  But don’t pray and then sit there and wait for the muse to show up.  Pray and then get to work doing the obvious.  As a writer, one way that I apply this is that I pray for the Lord’s work in my writing, I also plead for sanity and holy affections, and then I get after it.  I go to work.  I “open my mouth” and trust the Spirit’s work. 

It’s not spiritual to sit in your attic waiting to hear from the Lord when He’s already spoken and He’s already empowered.  That’s not spiritual.  That’s lazy and unbelieving.