by Julie Mason

Since we moved to Nepal last year, we’ve been trying very hard to adjust here. I didn’t even know what culture shock was until I moved here, because I never lived longer than a year abroad. Also I always knew when I would be back. You all might experience this while settling in Korea.

Part of the result of culture shock was withdrawal from everything. And I became very negative about where we were and the people around us. I didn’t realize how bitter I was about so many things and people.

One night I had a bad dream. In the dream, I saw Satan was trying to enter my room, and I resisted so hard to not to let him in. He walked away, but I knew he wasn’t completely gone. I woke up that night so scared, and I couldn’t fall asleep. Laying in bed I had a strong feeling that my spirit was showing me where the evil inside of me was growing and where my heart was going. That night, I felt the Spirit was leading me to pray for everything I was negative about and the people I complained about. God led me to change my way of thinking to something to be thankful for. Within the situation I was in, I was praying about the good things God intended to make happen and saw how I was growing through it. Regarding the people I was struggling with, I prayed for each one of them for the good things they have and that made me think of their perspectives.

Normally I go to sleep as soon as I lay down, but I couldn’t fall asleep for another couple of weeks after that dream. Every night, I kept praying for all those things. Slowly I fell asleep better. After those few weeks, I could turn back to normal cycle of sleeping. My complaining was reduced, and I was starting to feel like my spirit was in a better place. Without God’s Spirit guiding me and even showing me where my heart was, I might still be in that place or even deeper. It was so scary to see where my heart was going, going further away from God. I thought about this verse about the different gifts of the Spirit. I was so thankful that I have a spirit to tell between good and evil spirits.

“There are different kinds of gifts, but they are all from the same Spirit. There are different ways to serve but the same Lord to serve. And there are different ways that God works through people but the same God. God works in all of us in everything we do. Something from the Spirit can be seen in each person, for the common good. The Spirit gives one person the ability to speak with wisdom, and the same Spirit gives another the ability to speak with knowledge. The same Spirit gives faith to one person. And, to another, that one Spirit gives gifts of healing. The Spirit gives to another person the power to do miracles, to another the ability to prophesy. And he gives to another the ability to know the difference between good and evil spirits. The Spirit gives one person the ability to speak in different kinds of languages and to another the ability to interpret those languages. One Spirit, the same Spirit, does all these things, and the Spirit decides what to give each person” (1 Corinthians 12:4-11 NCV).

When Jesus Christ was leaving the earth, He gave us His Spirit. Even though we can’t physically see Jesus, I am even more grateful that we have the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ time, there were many people who wanted to see and talk to him for just a little bit but not all of them could have that chance. How amazing it is now we have Holy Spirit right here with us. If we really tapped into our spirit, we can experience His goodness right wherever we are.

Discussion question:

When you are having hardship and trouble, have you experienced that you wanted to act in a certain way but Spirit was guiding you differently?

Prayer points:

1. Pray for Holy Spirit to guide you in times of troubles.

2. Pray that we have open hearts to listen to when our Holy Spirit speaks to us.