We, brethren, have been bereft of you for a short while – in person, not in spirit – were all the more eager with great desire to see your face.  I Thessalonians 2:17

Paul was in Corinth when he wrote this to the believers in Thessalonica. Though they were geographically separated, they were together in spirit.  He felt it.  The Holy Spirit, in him, was connected to the Holy Spirit, in them.

Spirit ties are healthy, conceived by God.  The common denominator in their unity is the Holy Spirit who binds people together.  This very phenomenon is what makes for a great marriage and enduring and strong friendships. God desires that all of His children fatten their Spirit, that place where His Spirit speaks, so that one Spirit-filled believer can connect to another Spirit-filled believer.  The result is a bond that spans distance and time.  It will take them into eternity where their relationship will continue where it left off on earth.  

This is what it looks like.   

The Spirit in one believer recognizes the Spirit in another and they reach out to each other to fellowship on a rich level.  They don’t expect each other to be perfect.  Each knows that the other desires to love as Jesus loves but there will be times they are each imperfect.  Both know that they live and breathe by God alone.  His daily manna sustains them. 

Soul ties are powerful blind spots.  To assess each one correctly, I need to be prayerful.  The Holy Spirit will show me where I feel drained of energy, where I feel dominated and even where I am the controller.  With divine wisdom, He will lead me to make adjustments in the relationship.  Some of my relationships will be saved as both of us are willing to submit our needs and desires to Jesus.  But when my other person is unwilling, angry and even vindictive, God will give me the grace to stay the course ~ even if it means re-defining the relationship.