On being driven: focus, inspiration, passion, Spirit

“The Spirit drove Jesus into the desert” Mark 1:12

Have you ever experienced being driven by something or someone? The word driven is a powerful action word that connotes a type of compulsion. Compelled is synonymous with driven, though a little softer in tone. The word driven also implies focus.

Last Sunday, I was inspired by a homily which focused on this notion of driven in describing Jesus’ journey into the desert. This priest’s powerful preaching fired me up to consider what it means to be driven, most especially by the Holy Spirit and why this word is used in Mark’s Gospel.

The negative understanding of being driven is one that most every human being can relate to: a compulsion. At the root of every addiction there is a compulsion that drives a person to destructive behaviors. Driven by anxiety, one could choose to drink away the negative feelings, only to find out in the end the alcohol becomes the driving force that produces a new level of anxiety and thus the vicious cycle is born.

The positive side of driven is focus. When one is driven to achieve a goal, they are focused on the goal. The driving force behind that focus is passion.

To understand how Jesus was driven by the Spirit into the desert, we have to look at the scripture in context. Just before this focused journey, Jesus was plunged into the Jordan River and was baptized.

“And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Mark 1:10-11

There’s a lot of compelling force behind these actions. Mark’s choice of words is forceful, deliberate and passionate. The heavens didn’t just open, they were torn open. The spirit didn’t just flow over Jesus, it descended-implying extreme focus. And the voice of God resounded with those definitive words, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Have you ever been driven by the Spirit? It’s not a passive experience. It is a decisive experience; a compulsion to do the will of God. There is a sense of empowerment, but it is one that requires a surrender and a trust that will escape us if we imagine that God is just about warm fuzzy feelings.

Only hours after I heard this very gospel proclaimed with fervour, I experienced the Spirit driving me with a passion to do the will of God. At another church service later that day, I was introduced to a young mother and her children. From across the room, I could see her youngest child had neurological issues. I knew God wanted, or truly compelled me, to reach out to the mom to encourage her on this journey of special motherhood.

As we spoke, I shared enough about my daughter that she felt comfortable to share her child’s disabilities with me. Then I encouraged her and offered some practical help. We bonded in one simple conversation driven by the Spirit of God. Less than an hour later, at this same service, another Mom approached us. She too felt compelled to reach out because she also noticed this baby with special needs.

Then, this second mother began to share that she was pregnant with a child with a prenatal diagnosis. She was feeling overwhelmed. But then seeing this other woman’s child resting in his mother’s arms, she was encouraged. This mom felt it was a sign given her by God that she would not be alone in raising a child with disabilities.

As she shared, I felt a driving force of the Spirit of God. In the midst of people coming and going, I connected with this mom heart to heart as I asked her if I could pray with her and her unborn baby. As we prayed, I physically felt a powerful action of the Holy Spirit moving through me to this mother to strengthen her. It wasn’t a warm and flowing feeling. It was a powerful drive of the Holy Spirit to pray for the health and protection of this mother and child.

Jesus was driven into the desert to do battle with satan. He was prepared for these defining 40 days at his baptism in the Jordan River. In that moment God the Father proclaimed Jesus as the Son of God. With that profound acknowledgement of his sonship and empowerment of the spirit, Jesus was driven into the battle.

After those 40 days, the life changing ministry of Jesus, his preaching of the Gospel and his death and resurrection began and eternity was changed forever.

I could not watch the ISIS video depicting the beheading of 21 Coptic Christians. But I also couldn’t get them out of my mind as I thought about being driven by the power of the Holy Spirit. The more I read about them, the more I understood that these martyrs and the faith filled community they left behind, were driven by the Spirit to witness to Christ.

I watched the video of the interview with one of the brothers of two of the martyrs. He was thanking ISIS for not cutting the audio which depicts the martyrs crying out the name of Jesus upon their death.

The mother of these two brothers said if she met their ISIS executor on the street that she would invite him to her home and thank him because he helped them to enter heaven. The living brother reminded us all that even while we must defend and protect ourselves, bringing ISIS to justice, the bible calls us to love our enemies and bless those who curse us.

These martyrs were dragged to their deaths by evil men. But that’s not what drove them in the end. The Spirit of God drove them to proclaim the Name of Jesus as their last words so the rest of the world would recognize God’s power at work in those who believe. These 21 martyrs were set free from their captors to enter the kingdom of God.

Most of us will not experience the Spirit driving us to martyrdom. But all of us are driven by good and evil. If we choose to immersed in God, like Jesus in the Jordan River, and remember our true identity in Him, then our lives will be driven by the Spirit to accomplish great things for God.

Who’s driving you?