John 14:26 (TLB) But when the Father sends the Comforter instead of me and by the Comforter I mean the Holy Spirit—he will teach you much, as well as remind you of everything I myself have told you.

John 1:7 (AMP) But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him (the Holy Spirit) to you [to be in close fellowship with you].

I think my husband may think me a bit much when I tell him the Holy Spirit is teaching me and leading me in the matters of my life that I have surrendered. As I get to know and acknowledge the Holy Spirit in my life, I find myself more and more relying on the Spirit, to the point of what one may deem as ‘laziness’ and not wanting to deal with my own issues. I have come to realize it’s not ‘laziness’ but it is a matter of surrender. A matter of recognition, that my way is not the best way and that in every situation I need to ask myself “what would Jesus do, how do I think Jesus would react?

I recently had a situation with my husband that caused me to respond to him in a less than desirable way (something that he overlooked). Upon reviewing the situation I felt the Spirit telling me that I needed to apologize to him and the instructions were very clear – that I needed to exercise control. That is what having a relationship with the Holy Spirit does. In another situation I took offense because someone had not responded to me about an issue in a timely manner. I began to think that this person was not doing a good job and my mind pretty much went into overdrive. The Holy Spirit then asked me – “Why do you find fault with everything that does not go your way? I was taken aback because I realized truth in that question. I never saw myself that way but as the question was posed to me I did realise clearly that I was like that. The Holy Spirit allowed me to see things in myself that I never saw or preferred to not acknowledge. The Holy Spirit made me see that life does not revolve around me and that life is not about me, but, instead I should wait on God’s timing which is always perfect.

I thought I was living in the Spirit but what I was doing was preventing the Holy Spirit’s ability to work in my life. By deliberately opening myself to allowing The Holy Spirit to work in me, I realised changes. Changes that would have been hard for me to accomplish on my own. I was able to carry out instructions that went against all that I believed. I was able to wait for an answer or a leading and also have the ability to listen rather than quick to speak as I usually do. That is what the presence of the Holy Spirit does!

I thank God for the Holy Spirit, as Christians some of us are confused when we say to someone that we “got a feeling” … It is not a feeling, it is the Spirit that dwells within us, guiding us. A lot of times we need a word and we run to someone else when the Holy Spirit is there wanting to provide us with the knowledge, the only knowledge that is pure. The bible tells us in Galatians 5:16-18 (MSG) My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?

I believe we underestimate the power and the value that the Holy Spirit brings to our lives. Jesus told us in John 1:7 (AMP) But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him (the Holy Spirit) to you [to be in close fellowship with you]. The Holy Spirit is all of that to us – imagine that!

Let us give the Holy Spirit the acknowledgement that we should. Let us ask God to help us to walk in the Spirit because this is the only way we will reach true maturity in Christ. No one can receive Christ as their Lord and Savior without having the Holy Spirit within. The Holy Spirit causes changes in us that helps our quest to becoming like Christ attainable. I can testify!!!