Breathing is necessary for physical life. Nurses and other health care providers may insert a tube into the lungs to facilitate breathing, or attach a ventilator or breathing machine that will “breathe” for a patient. Another intervention for someone not breathing is for a nurse to blow air into the patient through mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. These are all extreme measures to help patients breathe when they are unable to meet their own oxygen requirements.
Spiritual breathing is also important to sustain life. Jesus, meeting with disciples after the resurrection, breathes on them and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). This holy intervention brought the eternal Holy Spirit into their spirits. From this point forward, the disciples are focused on continuing the ministry of the new covenant.
At times we need a renewal of the Holy Spirit to invigorate our calling in Jesus. Just as CPR involves another person to breath physically for a patient, we sometimes need to breathe spiritually for a fellow brother or sister. We can reach out to one another with prayer and various social connections. Whether it is through email, text or a phone call, a simple inspiring message can bring a freshness into someone else’s life.
So send the “breath of the Spirit” to someone who needs a boost of hope!
“Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5)
Carrie Dameron, MSN, RNBC, who is a regular contributor for Nurses Christian Fellowship International and Journal of Christian Nursing. She provides resources for Christian nursing on her blog http://blog.carriedameron.com/.
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