Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money,saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” (ESV)

As week two of this series comes to an end, you may have had an opportunity to reflect on how your current perception of the Holy Spirit differs from your past. Whether this is completely new to you, or you have been following Jesus for your entire life, there was likely a time when you didn’t understand or maybe even misunderstood the Holy Spirit.  

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In today's text, we read about a man named Simon who clearly did not understand the Holy Spirit. Earlier in this chapter, we see that Simon was known for practicing sorcery, amazing the Samaritans, and boasting of how great he was. By all indicators, he was a person who really enjoyed puffing himself up but was probably not so good at surrendering to someone else. Simon watched as two apostles prayed over and laid hands on new believers in Samaria who received the Holy Spirit. Impressed by this, Simon tried to purchase this “power” of giving the Holy Spirit so that he could perform this amazing feat himself.  

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Clearly, Simon did not understand the Holy Spirit, but what may be most concerning is Simon’s heart in all of this. He sought not to surrender to God, desiring for HIS Spirit to reside within him and lead his life, but instead to somehow use God’s power for his gain. The Holy Spirit is not some neat party trick or a way to gain notoriety or wealth, as Simon seemingly thought.  The Holy Spirit is a distinct being; he is God. And wildly, he chooses to indwell his people; soothing our souls, healing our deepest darkest hurts, guiding us, strengthening us and working mightily through us. Although this isn’t some power for us to wield for our own benefit, the Holy Spirit truly does benefit us and the world around us.

Even though we probably don’t try to buy this power today, the Holy Spirit may still seem confusing at first. But make no mistake, the Holy Spirit is a gift. God didn’t just give us salvation by grace through faith only to leave us to figure things out on our own until our time on Earth is finished. He lives inside of us, guiding, loving, convicting, comforting, growing, and sanctifying us along the way. Let that sink in for a moment.  

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Unlike Simon’s attempt to gain power, when we surrender to God, his power works in us - that same power that spoke the Earth into existence, all from the One that has more love for each of us than is even fathomable. If that doesn’t take the pressure off, I don’t know what does. No longer do we have to worry about our inadequacies, because he is strong.  

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Maybe you have struggled to understand the Holy Spirit. If this is you, don’t be afraid! God wants you to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and there is a community of people to navigate all of this alongside you. Whether you aren’t sure who the Holy Spirit is, or he has been guiding you for decades, maybe there is a next step that you can take today.  

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This may look like asking the Holy Spirit to reveal himself to you in a new way, submitting fully to him, encouraging others, or finding community to navigate this journey with. God is much more concerned with our motives and heart posture than us always getting it right.  Although Simon misunderstood the Holy Spirit, the bigger issue was the selfish motivation that his actions revealed. But when our motivation is to fully submit to God and continue with a heart of following him, we can trust that our awareness of the Holy Spirit’s presence will grow in our lives.

God, thank you for never leaving me alone to be failed by my own understanding and powerlessness. Thank you for your perfect guidance, comfort, conviction, grace, and love. Please help me to be aware of your presence and to walk in obedience. Deepen my relationship with you. In Jesus’ name, Amen!