Written by: Lemuel Teo (Photo by: Ronald Lim)

What is the Holy Spirit telling you today? 

One morning, as I shambled sleepy-eyed into my toilet to brush my teeth, I half-realised that the fluorescent light bulb above my basin was blinking intermittently. I was in a rush (as usual) so I casually let the thought of changing the light bulb slip and went on my way. As I was preparing to take a shower after getting home at 10 pm, the flickering light bulb caught my attention, again. Changing the light bulb would be too leychey — I had to grab a ladder, dismantle the casing, find out the correct model for the light bulb, check if I’ve got a spare one or go buy a new one, grab the ladder again, dismantle the casing again, only to finally fix in the new bulb. Hence, I decided that this could wait.

The next morning, I walked into my toilet, barely awake and in a rush. “Urgh, flickering light again.” I groggily focused on the getting ready and hurried out of the house. “The light can wait.” That night, as I was getting ready for bed, I noticed the periodic bursts of light from the dying light bulb, yet again. “It’s too troublesome and it’s so late.” I decided that I’ll get to it soon; besides, there were two other lights that were working fine and I could still make out my face in the mirror when I’m shaving.

This cycle of procrastination persisted; days became weeks and soon enough I forgot all about the light bulb (which was already dead by then). I got used to the new brightness (or lack thereof) of the toilet. Brushing my teeth, combing my hair, shaving my facial hair, and showering were all done without any inconvenience. I got accustomed to seeing myself in the mirror without that particular light bulb.

It took my sister (who shares the same toilet as me) to prod me into getting the light bulb replaced. “Kor, fix the light leh, very dark leh.” I was slightly taken aback because it struck me that I had gotten completely used to life without that light bulb. It was perfectly fine to me that only two of the three lightbulbs in my toilet were working. I wondered: “Why doesn’t the dimness bother me anymore?”

It says in Proverbs 24:33–34: “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest — and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.” In other words, a little compromise, a little putting off, a little procrastination — and you wouldn’t even know when you’ve lost something valuable. It could be anything of value: time, energy, initiative, even purity.

The Singaporean’s life seems to be in a state of perpetual haste — do this, do that, come here, go there. In the hustle and bustle of activity, sometimes we ignore the small, seemingly unimportant whispers in our spirit. “Don’t lie to cover up the embarrassing truth!”; “Go talk to that person.”; “What is your ulterior motive?”; “Pray for this person now.” We often turn a deaf ear to these nudges from the Holy Spirit because it requires too much effort, or we think it can wait a little while longer. We slump into either a compromise or procrastination. As we continue to disregard the Holy Spirit’s voice, we will eventually become desensitised to His prompting; slowly, the sporadic bursts of light do not catch our attention like before.

As we carry on brushing the Holy Spirit off, the filth in our souls pile up — sin festers and apathy grows — and crystallises a crust around our hearts, such that we barely notice that the once erratic light bulb does not flicker anymore. The poverty of our spirit becomes chronic and the barrenness of our soul spreads like a cancerous tumour. We adapt to life in a new dimness.

Yet this sparsity of light is not meant for us; we have been called to live in “His wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). Paul exhorted the Galatians, saying “let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves” (Galatians 5:16). The guidance of the Holy Spirit is akin to a “gentle whisper” or a “still small voice” (1 Kings 19:11). It is not forceful, and can be easily lost in a sea of voices if you do not pay attention.

The Holy Spirit’s voice is like that flickering light bulb — it gently calls me to action, demands some effort and inconvenience, yet when I ignore it long enough, I stop noticing the bursts of light, and eventually I get used to a life without it. The darkened corner of my toilet no longer bothered me. Is there an area in your life where God is gently and consistently speaking to you about? Is there something that God has been repeatedly asking you to do, or someone God has been impressing on your heart to bless? Are you ignoring His promptings? Has your heart become impenetrable to His still small voice?

Just as it is best to fix a perishing light bulb as soon as you see it, it is best to obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit immediately. Obedience might cost you something, but it certainly will be worth it! Joyce Meyer shares that “prompt obedience to God is the shortcut to a great life.” If the light bulb in your toilet has been flickering for days now, maybe it is time for you to deal with it.

“Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.” (Galatians 5:25)

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