Yesterday being Pentecost, and the fact that I just finished posting a series on the Holy Spirit, it is on my mind. After again reading the dramatic account of the Holy Spirit coming to the apostles and others in that closed and hidden room I had a serious question suddenly pop into my mind. Are we ignoring our small messages from the Holy Spirit and therefore also keeping the big ones from occurring in our lives?
I don’t expect that the Holy Spirit uses the flaming heads much anymore but I do believe that he come to each of us in varying degrees throughout our lives. Like most things we need to take baby steps before we can leap. Holy Spirit baby steps are those times in our lives when the Holy Spirit nudges us in one direction or another. After recognizing enough baby steps I think we graduate on to more significant messages.
If we are ignoring those baby nudges are we preventing the Holy Spirit from leading us into the knowledge that we were not yet ready to hear before that time? I think for many that might be the case. Some say that when we are baptized as children the Holy Spirit comes into our lives. That might be true but I am certain that is not the only time he is with us. By failing to recognize the fact of his continual presence maybe our baptism rituals are actually getting in the way of our growth as disciples of Christ??
Some say the “real” baptisms of the Holy Spirit come throughout our time on earth. By seemingly putting all the power on the first one we might actually be preventing recognizing and acting on the others. Just some thoughts that suddenly occurred to me today.
Come Holy Spirit, come……
RedLetterLiving 
Being baptized in my twenties was for me a special time when I publicly professed my acceptance of Christ and His Lordship in my life from that point forward. I was then immersed per His example. I was at an age when I understood and chose to accept Him and this new life He promised. I KNOW from that point forward my life became very different in focus and intent of the heart. The Holy Spirit came to dwell in me and I have been a totally new person with a new life. Did it save me? No. I don’t look back. Baptism in no way hinders me or gets in the way. Christ asks us to profess publicly. We can do this in many ways and should do it daily. Baptism is one way to profess His name.
It’s not a one time monument. It is a living dynamic.