God is an Extremely Good Gift Giver

A Gift of Freedom: God's Spirit and Perspective

This past week, I’ve been wrestling with a message stirring in my spirit, and when my pastor told me I’d be preaching this Sunday, I knew it was time to sit down and put it into words. I haven’t shared this with anyone yet, so bear with me as I unpack it. My prayer is that the Holy Spirit moves in our hearts today and that this makes sense—or at least, that it doesn’t fall flat! What’s been on my mind is this: God is an extremely good gift-giver. His greatest gift to humanity is His Spirit and His perspective, and through these, we find true freedom.

God’s Greatest Gift: His Spirit and Perspective

Let’s start with the big idea: God’s greatest gift to us is His Spirit and His perspective. These two gifts are how we experience freedom on this earth. Freedom is a word we hear a lot in church, but what does it mean? What are we free from? How do we know we’re living in it? By the end of this, I hope you’ll have a clearer grasp.

The Holy Spirit is truth, and truth is God’s perspective. Truth is the only thing that can bring freedom in our lives—freedom in our situations, our circumstances, our minds, and our hearts. To unpack this, let’s dive into 1 Timothy 6:9-10:

" But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows."

This passage is about money, but it reveals a broader pattern about humanity. God uses scripture to show us our blind spots—things we wouldn’t see without His truth. Let’s break it down:

• Longing: A deliberate desire, something we feed in our imagination. It’s a choice to fix our minds on something, whether it pulls us toward God or away from Him.

• Temptation: This longing leads us into temptation, a trap set by our desires.

• Trap: The tricky part is that the trap isn’t just our actions—it’s our desires. Jesus shifts our focus from what we do to why we do it. When we align our desires with God, the cycle of destruction falls apart.

• Destruction: Left unchecked, longing and temptation lead to ruin, sorrow, and a life far from God’s truth.

This pattern isn’t just about money—it applies to anything we long for that pulls us away from God. Longing for the wrong things is chasing destruction. But there’s another trap: wandering. Wandering is an accidental drifting, a lack of direction or intention. When we wander, we’re easily swayed because we have no anchor. Both longing and wandering end in the same place: far from truth, full of sorrow, and missing the freedom God offers.

Don’t Stifle the Holy Spirit

This brings me to 1 Thessalonians 5:19: “Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.” When I first read this, I was shocked. I didn’t realize I had the power to suppress the Holy Spirit! To stifle is to resist or smother something that wants to move, like kinking a hose to stop the water flow. The Holy Spirit is in us, urging us to act, speak, or step out in faith—maybe to start a business, write a book, or mend a relationship. But too often, I’ve ignored that nudge, hesitated, or stayed silent. That’s stifling the Spirit.

God’s other great gift is our free will. He won’t override our choices. When we long for the wrong things or wander aimlessly, we stifle the Spirit, whether intentionally or not. Wandering often happens because of a lack of intentionality. We can have the Holy Spirit within us and never interact with Him, living as if He’s not there. The key is to notice when we’re drifting and choose to refocus on the Spirit.

The Role of the Holy Spirit: Leading Us to Truth

Let’s look at John 16:12-13, where Jesus says: "There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can't bear it now. When the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His oown but will tell you what He has heard. He will tell you about the future."

The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth—God’s perspective. When Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of God.” Jesus replied that this truth came not from man but from the Spirit. Every truth we know is revealed by the Holy Spirit.

Then, in John 8:32, Jesus says: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” If truth sets us free, what keeps us bound? Lies. Deception. Whenever I feel trapped or stuck, my first question should be: What am I believing, and is it true? The only way to find truth is to turn to the Holy Spirit, who guides us into all truth. 2 Corinthians 3:16-17 reinforces this: “Whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” The Spirit removes the veil that blinds us, revealing the truth of our situation—whether it’s the finished work of Jesus or the reality of our circumstances. Yet, I’ve struggled with this. I believe the Spirit is in me, but there are moments when I don’t feel free. How can I have the Spirit of freedom and still feel bound? The answer lies in access—or rather, in choosing to grab hold of the Spirit’s gifts.

The Fruit of the Spirit: God’s Gift of Freedom

The Holy Spirit produces fruit in us—not fruits, but a singular fruit with many expressions: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I believe self-control is the trampoline for all the others. It’s not willpower or determination; it’s the Spirit’s work in us, enabling us to choose to respond rather than react.

Imagine getting a devastating phone call. Your instinct is to react in fear or anger, believing every lie that floods your mind. But self-control lets you pause, take a deep breath, and ask, “Holy Spirit, where are You in this? Show me the truth.” That choice—to respond with intentionality—ushers in freedom. The fruit of the Spirit is God’s gift of situational freedom. It doesn’t always mean escaping a situation but finding freedom within it.

A New Perspective

My brother, Icy (happy 27th birthday, by the way!), had a quote from Jack Sparrow on his door growing up: “The problem isn’t the problem. The problem is your attitude toward the problem.” Lies distort our perspective, but God’s truth realigns it. His perspective is the antidote to every situation. Jesus said in John 16:33, “In this life, you will have many tribulations. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” Taking heart means choosing to believe God’s truth over the lies in our minds.

Every situation has an answer wrapped in the fruit of the Spirit. At any moment, I can reach for peace, joy, or faithfulness and take heart. The weight of sin no longer holds me back—Jesus removed that barrier. But I must choose to grab hold of the Spirit’s gifts. If I don’t, I’ll wander by default, chasing the wrong things or drifting aimlessly.

Choose to Respond, Not React

Here’s my challenge: let’s stop being reactors and start being responders. Today, we can choose to grab the fruit of the Spirit—especially self-control—and apply it to our lives. It may not change the situation, but it will free us from its mental and emotional toll. There’s no prison like a lie, and the moment we embrace God’s truth is the moment we experience His freedom.

God’s Spirit and perspective are His greatest gifts. They’re free, accessible, and powerful. So, let’s be intentional. Let’s chase after the Holy Spirit relentlessly, align our desires with His truth, and walk in the freedom He’s already given us.