The term entrainment was introduced to me as a meteorologist. Weather is simple to understand yet hard to predict at times. The simplicity comes in the fact that it is nothing more than heat exchange. As the sun warms up the surface of the earth, whether it be water or land, that differential heating causes wind, it causes rain, it creates clouds, and everything else that we see. That is very simple, yet the complexity comes in the fact that there are mountains, large bodies of water, and small bodies of water, there are things that man has made that disrupt patterns. Many things can disrupt these seemingly simple patterns and therefore it becomes hard to predict at times.

As a disciple of Christ, entrainment is ongoing. The concept is very simple. We know that the Holy Spirit is working all around us. That he has designed us for his purpose and He has made us in His image. So it's simple what we need to do, is simply blend in with what he is already doing around us. Yet the fallen nature of man pushes us to make it complex. We try to outthink God. We try to outsmart the things that are going on around us. Rather than just simply obeying what he is telling us, we make it difficult. Some of the ways that we make it difficult to blend in and entrain with the Holy Spirit's streams is by neglecting our Bible or stop praying. We no longer try to intentionally associate with fellow disciples to grow with one another. All of these complexities lead to frustration at times, yet the Holy Spirit is still at work as He has been for many years and will continue to be. This will never change. God could have chosen any way to spread the gospel, but he chose us. He chose individuals. He could have said that at a certain age, you will automatically get knowledge. He could have said if you step on this rock, you will get knowledge. He could have done anything that our imaginations could come up with, but he chose you and me. He chooses us to be a part of his plan because he loves us, He desires a relationship with us. In other words, he wants to be entrained with His people.

These paths are something that I identify as streams of entrainment. There are Bible streams that we should be studying our Bible and reading our Bible and acting on things that we learn in the Bible. It's not enough to study, It's never been enough to study. We must act on what we have read. As we engage in these Bible streams of knowledge, whether it be teaching from a pastor at a church or it is from a book that we have read on discipleship. It could be from our insights, which are always the best insights we have from His book. That's what we need to focus on. We need to have these streams of Bible reading. It's not about the knowledge, it's about the actions that we take concerning that knowledge. We can read one passage in the Bible now and five years from now, that passage will impact us in many different ways. The truth stands the same, the truth will never change. However, how it impacts us and what we are to do about it does change. I think the two verses that I often use, are Romans 12, 1 and 2. "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Whenever I was early on in my marriage, before we had kids, these verses impacted me in one way. As my kids were born, my life changed. It changed drastically as yours does too anytime big life events happen. However, these verses never change. But how we are tempted to be conformed to this world does change. And how we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, it changes. Because if we're growing as a disciple of Christ, we should be getting more and more mature. We should have different insights. And then as our children get to be teenagers and they're in school, it changes yet again. And then as they transition into adulthood and we become empty nest parents, yet again, those verses impact us differently. But the Scripture has never changed, it's always been the same. It's always been the same because that's the way God intended it.

But the Holy Spirit is active and can guide us. He can lead us into these streams by entraining us into His plan. These entrainment streams are wonderful and we never know what's going to come out if we truly follow His guidance instead of making up our plans. We never know what's going to be on the other side of the Holy Spirit's prompting or the insights that He gives. We might have an expectation or a way we think something will go, but yet, that's not the way God's intention was. We need to be OK when our expectations aren't met and embrace what He has for us. We have to love His guidance for the journey.

We need to embrace the fact that our God loves us more than we can ever comprehend. His plan is the best plan, not a plan that I made. So this whole concept of entrainment is simple, we jump in where God is working. There was a book many years ago that Dr. Henry Blackaby wrote called Experiencing God. The seventh step of this journey that he had outlined in his book was that God's at work all around us, we just need to jump in. We need to find out where He's working, roll up our sleeves, and go to work. We need to be attentive and obedient to the Holy Spirit by actively following Him.

Where we don't line up with His Word, we adjust. We have a responsibility to adjust to His Word, not the other way around. Society can never take over that role. His standard must always be something that we go to the Bible with guidance from the Holy Spirit. We need to be involved in the entrainment streams that God puts in our lives. Take action by jumping in where He is, and follow Him as best we can. Knowing that we're going to make mistakes, knowing that He is going to love us and forgive us anyway. We need to take what He lays out before us and be content with what He has in store. Love Him and be active in the entrainment streams of life.

Ron Robison

I am a fully devoted follower of Christ doing my best to mature as a discipling learner. This is where my single identity lies.

The roles I play in life's journey are husband, father, weekend athlete, small group leader and writer. My vision is one of sailing the open waters of life allowing the Holy Spirit to fill the sails of life to explore wherever He wants me to go.

PiloCon was formed out of a passion to help us connect in our discipleship journey while here on earth. The image is that of harbor pilot who comes aboard to helps guide ships navigating into various destinations.