The Holy Spirit’s Presence in Your Brain During Sleep
Why so Tired?
The Spirit works in and through the natural processes of our brain to renew our brain functions.
Notwithstanding any sleeping problems one might have, I figure that often the answer is that one needs to cooperate better with the Spirit. This is similar to how the Spirit builds our character. The apostle Paul tells us that the Spirit produces “fruit” in our lives of “love, joy, peace, patience,” etc. (Galatians 5:22), and yet he also tells us that in order to see this fruit present in our lives, we need to be “led by the Spirit” (v. 18) and to “keep in step with the Spirit” (v. 25). Likewise, we can choose to either “resist the Holy Spirit” (Acts 7:51), or we can choose to “keep in step with the Spirit” by ensuring we get enough sleep. And the Spirit will then do the work necessary to renew our brains.
Image: Hutomo Abrianto
Just as God sends the Spirit throughout creation to “renew the face of the ground” (Psalm 104:30), the Spirit is present and at work in my brain, restoring its functions while I am sleeping. And this is one way that when “I lie down and sleep … the Lord sustains me” (Psalm 3:5).
PR
Notes
[1] Hendrikus Berkhof, The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit: The Annie Kinkead Warfield Lectures, 1963–1964 (Richmond, VA: John Knox Press, 1964), p. 94.
Category: Spirit, Summer 2018
Followers
Fans
