SENSITIVITY

For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord – Acts 11:24

One of the most cherished virtues of a Spirit-filled life is Spiritual SENSITIVITY. We see this in the models of Barnabas, who can be described as the unsung hero of the early Church. He is first introduced in Acts 4:36-37 as someone who was committed to the radical ideals of communal life in the early Church: “And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement)…having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostle’s feet.” Next, he appeared as the one who understood that Saul, who later became Paul, had had an encounter with Jesus. While the rest of the church in Jerusalem were afraid to associate with Saul due to his past life as a persecutor of the Church, Barnabas understood that God had placed his hand on Saul and helped him integrate into the life and mission of the early church: “But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles…” (Acts 9:27a). What a sensitive spirit this was!

When the Holy Spirit began to manifest uniquely in Antioch, Barnabas was dispatched by the church in Jerusalem to see what was going on. He responded promptly, discerned the amazing work of God and equipped and empowered the fledgling group of new Christians (Acts 11:22-25). When the early church entered into a divisive debate over the nature of salvation and how it related to Gentiles, Barnabas advocated for the Gentiles, contrary to years of tradition, in order to make the Gospel more accessible to all people (Acts 15:2). This positively-sensitive spirit had a genuine ability to notice where God was at work. Whether it was a new move of the Spirit, a doctrinal issue that needed to be resolved or a person who needed to be encouraged and empowered, Barnabas was sensitive to where the Spirit was at work, and he was determined to help facilitate such work. As such, he played a key role in the unfolding of God’s story.

The book of Acts presents some other examples of spiritual sensitivity; people responding promptly to the Spirit’s leadings:

• Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot (Acts 8:29).

• While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are seeking you” (Acts 10:19).

• Then the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house (Acts 11:12).

• And finding disciples, we stayed there seven days. They told Paul through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem (Acts 21:4).

To enjoy your relationship with the Lord, our Creator and Heavenly Father, you must be spiritually activated and sensitive. Always remember: “But there is a spirit in man…” (Job32:8a). Also, the wise man mused: “Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the beast, which goes down to the earth?” (Eccl.3:21). It is God that formed “the spirit of man within him” (Zech.12:1b). Paul pondered: “For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?...” (1Cor.2:11a). You cannot cultivate or sustain a relationship with God who is a Spirit through your soul. God is a Spirit, and you must relate to Him in the spirit. The devil and his demons are also spirits, and you can only exercise dominion over them and defeat them in the spirit realm, using spiritual and supernatural weapons!

Beloved, how spiritually sensitive, discerning, and perceptive are you? Do you try to actively discern where God is at work? Is there someone you sense could use your encouragement in life or ministry today? How can you effectively respond to their need? As you perceive where God is at work, you can help empower the Church to pursue His mission in your location and generation. Also, as you sense negativities in the spirit, you can stand in dominion and destroy the works of the devil.