The Presence of the Holy Spirit

Jesus was with his disciples for around 3 years. He was physically with them in the boat during the storm. He was feeding them when they were hungry. When they became anxious, he was there to comfort them. In John 14-16, Jesus is telling them he’s leaving them and they have lots of questions. Jesus tells them that he’s going back to the Father but he’ll ask his Father to send the Holy Spirit.

There is a seemingly crazy verse in John 16:7 where Jesus says, “It’s better for you that I go.” Wait. What? No way. We’ve had you for 3 years and you’ve taken care of us but now it’s better? What Jesus is saying is God IN you is better than God WITH you.

So with the Holy Spirit living in us, what does his presence in our lives do for us? John 16:8 reminds us the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin, reminds us of God’s righteousness and that God is going to judge the world. It’s the Holy Spirit that reminds us we need a Savior whose name is Jesus Christ.

Even making a decision to follow Jesus was the work of the Holy Spirit. He is the one who convicted us that there was a better way to live. He’s also the one that continually convicts us to be more like Jesus. He makes me aware of things that I used to ignore. Things I thought were not a big deal are now a big deal. Things I used to rationalize are no longer okay. The Holy Spirit prods me to be more like Jesus everyday.

The presence of the Holy Spirit also confirms our salvation. Paul tells us in Romans 8:16 that His Spirit joins our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. Paul also reminds us in Ephesians 1:13-14, “…you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.”

Finally, the presence of the Spirit comforts us during difficult times in life. Jesus says in John 14:16, “the Father will send another comforter…” The Spirit gives us the peace that passes all understanding. It’s the idea that one can’t really explain but must be experienced to fully understand.

You’ve seen folks going through difficult times and thought, “I am not sure how they are doing that.” When they are following Jesus, that is the Spirit at work in their lives helping them move through the storm. I’ve seen widows walk tall, villagers walk for hours, those silenced in foreign countries speak with their lives, mom’s very their children and divorced parents come together for the good of their kids. All of that happens because the Spirit is there walking with them in those dark moments.

So how do we feel the presence of the Spirit in our lives? You have to put your self in a position to let the Holy Spirit work. He’s been described like the wind. So put yourself in the space to let your life sails catch the wind. We can do that be creating daily space to be in God’s Word and prayer, surrounding ourselves with other followers of Jesus and be fully vested in the life of a church. You must create margin. You must be still and sit and wait.

God’s Holy Spirit wants to connect with you. So create space in your life to see his work and feel his presence. Blessings on the journey.

Time is Most Valuable.

I’ve been financially broke before. I’ve spent all my money but then had the opportunity to go make some more. I’ve also spent my time unwisely. But I could not get that time back. Time is important. You only have so much of it. The Apostle Paul knew that and said in Ephesians 5, “…be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity…Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.”

I find more and more, I do not have much margin in my life. I pack so much into every day, that there are times I never really sit down. I don’t want to miss anything so I really schedule the day, hoping to grind as much out of the day as possible. We have become an overloaded people. It seems to be the disease of our time.

But God didn’t create us to be stressed out, burned out and spent. We are limited creatures and when we understand that, we may find healthier ways to live into the life God has given us. Our time on earth is so valuable. The writer says in Psalms 39, “Remind me Lord that my life is a breath compared to you.” So because God has created us to live into His story, there are some important things to remember as we move into summer and beyond.

First, make God THE priority in your schedule. God wants to be more than part of your life—He wants to be your life. Jesus understood that and lived that everyday. During Jesus’ ministry, he was surrounded by turmoil, stress and anxious personalities but he was never spent. How did he do that? Mark 1:35 reveals it. At the front end of the day, Jesus spent time alone with God his Father. You and I would do well to follow his lead.

I mean, like Jesus, every single day, you have people coming to you. Whether you are a mom, dad, business leader or friend, there are people coming to you every day, just like folks come to Jesus for help. So, to gain wisdom and a quiet heart, find God at the front end of your day to ask for help and discernment during your day.

Also, learn to say “no” so you can say “yes” to the things that actually matter. We look at each other’s social media feeds and desire to do what everyone else is doing so we add that onto what we are already doing which leads to a massively packed day. Look, if you don’t align your spending with the money you are bringing in, you could end up broke. But if you don’t realign your time to what’s manageable, you will be broken.

Paul knew that in 1 Corinthians 10 when he said, “You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is beneficial.” So learn to say “no”. It’s okay to create some boundaries for healthy living.

Finally, get the proper context for your life. We think we have more time than we actually do. Moses knew something about time. He wrote about it in Psalms 90 when he says about God, “From everlasting to everlasting, you are God.” God owns everything, including time. And somewhere between our birthday and our death-day, we are living out our dash…our life.

So the call is to use time wisely. Every day, discover how you are intersecting in the story of God. Learn what it means to create margin in your life to connect with God. This summer, the Holy Spirit has an incredible story for you. Live in such a way that you don’t miss your connection with God. Blessings on the journey.