Listen to this article:
In this article:
- What the Holy Spirit is
- What the Holy Spirit does
- Encountering the Holy Spirit
In church, I think we tend to talk a lot more about God and Jesus over the Holy Spirit. For people who are newer to the faith, learning and understanding the Holy Spirit may be a bit of an enigma. Even for people who are not new to Christianity, the Holy Spirit may still be a vague concept that is hard to fully understand. Although, the power and person of the Holy Spirit may be hard to digest, or may even be unsettling, getting to know the Holy Spirit at an intimate level can change your life in miraculous ways.
What is the Holy Spirit?
Before discussing how the Holy Spirit can change your life, I think it is important to understand who the Spirit is. The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit is Lord and the giver of life. It is the creator spirit. The Holy Spirit is present before the creation of the universe. The Holy Spirit is part of the Trinity. Through the Holy Spirit’s power everything was made in Jesus and by God.
When mentioning the Holy Spirit people may tend to freak out. That could be because it brings certain images to mind. Some people may think of chaos, craziness, people speaking in tongues, behaving oddly or out of character. However, the Holy Spirit is nothing like that. The Holy Spirit embodies wonderful qualities like love, joy, peace, patience, and faithfulness. The Holy Spirit is God’s gift to us, so that we may live in splendor at all times.
In order to live in the Spirit, you need to build a strong relationship. How do you do that? The Holy Spirit asks us to do several things in order to have a relationship.
Living "In the Spirit"
The Holy Spirit wants your trust. Romans 8:11 tells us that “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.”
It was the Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. If Jesus trusted the Holy Spirit, shouldn't you? Since Jesus needed the Holy Spirit, how much more do we need it?. Before Jesus even began his ministry, he was baptized and the Holy Spirit came upon him. We need the Holy spirit in every facet of our lives, our relationships, our careers, our mindsets, etc. The Holy Spirit wants to be involved in the entirety of our lives. Living in the dependence of the Holy Spirit is a powerful way to live your life. When you fully trust and depend on the Holy Spirit you start to see the magnificent ways God works in your life. The Holy Spirit allows you to go further in your life than you would have ever imagined by your own doing.
Dependence on the Holy Spirit strengthens our relationship with all facets of God. When we neglect to pray and read the word we neglect the Holy Spirit. If we do not make the time to pray or read the Bible, we are telling the Holy Spirit that we do not need guidance for that day. The Holy Spirit speaks to us through prayer and through the word. It speaks to us when we call, and if we do not do that then we are not allowing the space for it to work in us.
It is this dependent relationship with the Holy Spirit that sets apart believers from non believers. Some people are so reliant on their own wisdom and convictions that they would not even recognize if the Holy Spirit was removed from the equation altogether.
A spiritual influencer
Where is the influence of the Holy Spirit? You cannot compartmentalize the Holy Spirit in your life. We must allow the Holy Spirit to have full access to our whole life, not just in certain areas of it. Some people are also afraid of the Holy Spirit because they are afraid of what it might say. They are afraid that they might feel convicted if they allow the Holy Spirit into every aspect of their life. But would you not want to know so you could move on from that? Ask the Holy Spirit to have influence in your life and trust.
When I was a child I was very adamant about reading this book called “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young. I read the daily passage every single night before going to bed. Those readings made me feel very connected to the Holy Spirit. I encountered this presence numerous times throughout my adolescent life. As I have gotten older and my routines have changed, it is more difficult for me to carve out time to meditate in the Holy Spirit’s presence.
Although, it can be hard to make time for quiet time with The Holy Spirit that does not mean that it is less important to our lives. In fact, I think that the busier we get makes it even more important to integrate a daily time of meditation on God’s word and in God’s presence. Taking a few minutes daily to spend time with The Holy Spirit may not change your life drastically at first, but as you start to build and deepen that relationship you will start to see his glorious work unfold in your life.
Madison Myers is a graduate of The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, having majored in marketing, and is a young professional. She has traveled to a majority of America's national parks and is eager to see them all.
