the helper we desperately need

"I will send you the Helper from the Father..."
(John 15:26-27)
 
Have you ever been too prideful to accept help from someone because you wanted to prove that you were more than capable of doing it on your own? I have. I remember a couple of years ago when I returned from the grocery store with more bags than I could carry on my own. But of course, I had to attempt to carry them all at once. I mean, who wants to make more than one trip to the car?
A neighbor saw me and asked me if I needed their help. I politely, yet pridefully declined. And within what felt like just a couple of steps to get to my door, one of the bags tore and…well you know what happened.

I stood there shaking my head, feeling upset. First, because there goes a waste of money. But secondly, and probably more importantly, I felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit regarding my pride. Why didn’t I just take the help?

Well, there is a Helper that we can’t afford to decline. His name is Holy Spirit-the third person of the Triune God.

Our walk with the Lord and in the Lord isn’t designed to be left to or done by our own efforts. Let’s not forget that it’s our own efforts that caused the divide between us and God in what became known as sin which led to the Fall. Our own efforts don’t lead us into a right standing with God. It had to be God’s doing. So, if it’s God’s doing in bringing us in right relationship with Him, then why would it not be His sustenance keeping us on this journey?

In His immense love for us through the work of Jesus Christ, He gave us the Holy Spirit first and foremost as a seal to show that we belong to Him (Ephesians 1:13-14). And in us belonging to Him, He desires that we live this life for His glory. Not by our own might but by the empowering work of the Holy Spirit in us.

The Holy Spirit’s role in our lives is very profound and it’s important that we know those roles so we can walk in and by His help and not our own understanding or effort.

The Holy Spirit Sanctifies
One of the most important roles of the Holy Spirit is to sanctify us, which means to make us more and more like Christ (2 Thess. 2:13, 1 Peter 1:2, Romans 8:4). He convicts us of the things that doesn’t please God (sin) and makes us more aware of them so that we turn away from then and not run to them. Instead, we are, by the Spirit, empowered to produce in us growth that brings forth the “fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-23) which are qualities that reflect the character of God. Sanctification is a never-ending job until we are with Christ forever.  
 
The Holy Spirit Emboldens us
In the New Testament, we see that the Holy Spirit empowered and emboldened the disciples to preach the gospel. They proclaimed the Word boldly and with great power (Acts 4:8, 6:10, 1 Thess.1:5) It’s imperative that we share the gospel with others and the Holy Spirit speaks through the gospel message and is the one that opens eyes and pierces hearts. We don’t have to shrink back because we have the Spirit that makes us bold to do God’s word.

The Holy Spirit Teaches & Illuminates
A beautiful truth in Christ is that we will never be left in darkness. The Holy Spirit reveals things so that we can have understanding. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit “will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26) Even when we don’t understand why certain things happen in our lives, we have the Spirit to help us remember what the Lord has said regarding our trials. He enables us to understand spiritual truth. “We have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we might understand the gifts bestowed on us by God” (1 Cor. 2:12). 

The Holy Spirit Guides
Galatians 5:18 tells us to be led by the Spirit and not the flesh. This is encouraging us to have lives that should be responding moment by moment to the desires of the Holy Spirit and not the desires of the flesh. This means the Holy Spirit is personally active in our hearts guiding us in the way that is pleasing to God. We see many accounts in Scripture where the disciples heeded to the leading of the Spirit which led to decisions that were different from their own understanding (Acts 15:28, Acts 20: 22-23) It’s important to understand that the Holy Spirit doesn’t lead us or guide to us to do anything that contradicts God’s Word and character.

The Holy Spirit gives assurance
There are times in our walk with the Lord where we question our place with God. The Holy Spirit in us bears witness “with our spirits that we are children of God” (Romans 8:16). Not only that, but He gives evidence of the good work that God is doing within us (1 John 3:24). So, we need not feel doubtful but rest in the assurance of His Spirit that we are His.
Sisters, there are so many other roles of the Spirit in our lives but know this, we need Him. It’s because of His work in us that we are where we are in God, through Christ. Let’s not be deceived or prideful but desperately rely on His help for every single thing in our lives.
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The weekly devotionals seek to encourage you to dig deeper into Scripture as you take the time to daily read, meditate, and internalize the verses in the devotional, along with the passages provided below to give greater context. Take the time to read them throughout the week (repetition is important) and ask the Holy Spirit to help you grasp what God is showing you about Himself, about you, and how to live in light of these truths. 

Passages to read/memorize/meditate:

Ephesians 1:13-14
Acts 6:10,15: 28, 20:22-23
Romans 8:4,16
1 John 3:24
1 Cor. 2:12
John 14:26
John 15: 26-27
1 Peter 1: 2
2 Thess. 2:13
Galatians 5:22-23


Questions to reflect on:

1. How does learning the roles of the Holy Spirit in your life encourage you in your walk with God?
2. Were there times you rejected the Help of the Holy Spirit? How did that affect you? And what did you learn from it?