What Is An Anointing?

     In Luke 4:18 (NAS) it reads, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, He has anointed me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are downtrodden, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord."  These words are written in red, signifying Jesus was the one who spoke them.  We know that Jesus was anointed, but what about plain, everyday people.  Can they be anointed of God?  The answer is yes!
     An anointing is not man-given, it comes from God as the equipping for the call of God on one's life.  God gives what is needed to fulfill what He asks of us, however, the anointing is God flowing through us, not we ourselves.  It is the God given ability to go, to do, to speak, to sing, to create beyond our normal capabilities.  An anointing will carry what we do to the very depths of the human heart.  Our intellect and abilities can tickle man's brain, God's anointing can change man's heart!  His anointing is the only avenue to the heart of man for eternal value.
     With a call will come an anointing.  As with a call, being yielded to God's will is necessary to flow in His anointing.  I tend to think of the anointing as oil, or grease to machinery.  When the working parts of a machine are well oiled, they move easily and freely, producing the desired function that machine was invented to perform. Without the oil, the metal begins to grind against metal and production slows down.  Eventually, a breakdown is inevitable (sure to happen).  Anyone who is called in ministry and recognizes God's anointing can relate to this example.  A good friend says, "The anointing - it's thrillin' with it, and it's chillin' without it!"
     Isaiah 10:27 (KJV) "And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off their shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing."  The anointing breaks the yoke of bondage.  It is the divine power God gives believers to minister to the world and to the body of Christ.
     The anointing therefore is for ministry to people.  It's a weapon against the works of the enemy.  It sets people free and breaks the yoke of bondage.  It is the power to change hearts.  The anointing is for service, not for show!  Jesus never monopolized on his anointing for stardom or fame.  It was not the dominant factor in his life.  The dominant factor was his relationship with the Father.
     We need the anointing to do God's will or else, we will be trying to meet the needs of people out of our flesh.  Zechariah 4:6 (KJV) "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit saith the Lord of hosts."
     We cannot do a spiritual work for God with our carnality and flesh.  We do not have a better idea, nor a better way than God.  He will grace us where He takes us!  He knows we can't do it, so He provides His grace, which empowers us to be able to walk out His truth.