A few weeks ago, while visiting a restaurant that so many people had rave reviews about, I tried one of the signature dishes that had been the talk of the town.

On this specific day, as I tested out the dish (trusting the word of mouth satisfaction offered by others), I was quite disappointed. Initially, I thought maybe it was because everyone’s reviews were so high that I had unrealistic expectations about what to expect from the food.

What I discovered, after sharing with a few others who were in awe of the food, was that they all asked about how it was prepared and what kinds of ingredients did I have in and on it. After I shared with them my plate elements, they smirked, laughed me off, and simply said, “You were missing one of the key ingredients that make it good. Like the sauce!”

The life of the believer is like that when the Holy Spirit is not present and active.

The Holy Spirit is the special sauce that gives the life of the believer that “It” Factor that makes their behavior, character, mindset, and approach to life stand out.

The Holy Spirit is the ingredient, when added, that allows for people to be able to make lasting impressions on perfect strangers.

The Holy Spirit is that special sauce that makes the voice of a person not just heard, but respected and valued.

With these facts it is then very unfortunate when some have reduced the role of the Holy Spirit to only a theological fundamental belief versus an active mandate for everyone who is striving to live like Christ.

In Acts 19, Paul encountered some Christians who had accepted Jesus Christ as the Messiah, but unfortunately, had not even heard of the Holy Spirit.

The good news is that as Paul shared with them about the role and responsibility of the Holy Spirit, they were open to it. In Acts 19:6, we see that their Christian Experience was then maximized beyond their previous exposure. Their life with God moved beyond a religious understanding to a relational encounter that was dynamic, engaging, and empowering. That is the role of the Holy Spirit in each of our lives.

The Holy Spirit turns a church service into a worship encounter.

The Holy Spirit turns a simple Bible reading into a truth revealing experience.

The Holy Spirit turns a song with a good melody into a life-giving, healing hymn that transforms an environment and strengthens a heart. That’s the role of the Holy Spirit.

There’s nothing worse than tasting food with missing ingredients. That cake needs butter and egg, that chicken needs its seasoning, and that pasta its sauce. Without it, it becomes clear that something is missing.

Similarly, every Christian needs the Holy Spirit. Without it, there is frustration, no fruit, and even, futile activity with no productivity.

Today, invite the Holy Spirit to ooze into aspects of your life and you’ll see a noticeable, supernatural (and sometimes unexplainable) difference.

It’ll be worth it, and your life will taste better.

–by Christopher J. Harris

4 Responses to The Missing Ingredient

  1. Donna says:

    to Ricky Lee, when you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, the Holy Spirit entered you to seal your salvation and to help you. Just believe the Holy Spirit is within you and prayers are always answered, not always in the way we want it but as God ordains it to teach us, grow us & make us stronger in our life . faith & love Him even more. Pray for a closer relationship with God each day and thank him continually for all circumstances = good or bad. Don’t doubt your salvation or that you don’t have the Holy Spirit as that is of the devil who tries to make us doubt God & His promises. Trust Him and try to have an intimate relationship with Him through the Bible, and study helps & join a true Bible teaching church, attend the Sunday school class as this is where you learn more about growing and God. Hope I was encouraging you. God bless you in your walk.

  2. ricky lee says:

    i wanted to change myself of my bad habit as i was not able to do it on my own ,i come to our lord jesus for help & accepted him as my saviour about 5 years already ,but still nothing had change in my life just the same old me. Sometimes i cant understand what are the plan that god given for each of us , it hurt me even more when our prayer is not answer ,where is my holy spirit ??? I been praying that our god will send the holy spirit to be part of my life so that i can grow with god .I wish that god able to show a sign that i able to felt his present in my life .How long that i need to wait for something happen to my life …!!! this is my nature way of asking to god. By right i can question god but what can i do ??? I seek… i seek …i seek where r u god ?? .I can accept Life is no prefect all the time but i can overcome it with god on my side . The waiting period a long i dont know i can wait any longer or i have to find others way of changing my life .So pls show your way .i cry to you

    • Candi says:

      Your looking for Him and He’s already there! Holding your hand! Stop looking and start praising and you’ll see Him!

  3. Steve Gills says:

    Thanks so much. I have been unemployed for awhile and confused and hurting even though I am a believer. I need all the encouragement I can get.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *