As a kid, I knew the Bible shared God’s best way to live, but sometimes I still felt overwhelmed by problems or choices in my life. I was thankful for the Bible, but I still wished I could be sitting right next to Jesus, just like you might sit with your Mom on the couch or with your best friend at recess.
I thought that if Jesus was sitting right next to me, I could ask Him any questions I had and He could tell me exactly what to do. I thought that if I could walk and talk with Him, then obeying Him would be easier. Have you ever felt that way?
You know what I discovered, though? As awesome as it would be to physically be near Jesus, Jesus Himself said that there was something even better!
Before Jesus returned to Heaven, He told His disciples that it was better for them if He left (John 16:7). Can you imagine that?! I bet the disciples were confused at first, wondering how not having Jesus could be better than having Him right there with them. But Jesus said it was better for Him to go, because He was going to send to them a Helper, the Holy Spirit, who would always be with them, telling them what God wanted them to know.
The Holy Spirit does the same thing for us!
When we have accepted Jesus for our salvation, God’s Holy Spirit lives IN us, and He is OUR helper.
When it’s hard to obey our parents or tell the truth or be self-controlled, we can depend on God’s Spirit in us to help us.
The Holy Spirit convicts us of wrong, leads us in what is right, and gives us power to do what He has called us to do. He comforts, teaches, guides and encourages us. Pretty amazing, right?
Galatians 5 even tells us that the fruit of the Spirit – what the Holy Spirit grows in us – is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
The next time you wonder what to do or how to be patient with someone or kind to your neighbor, or obedient to your dad, thank Jesus for sending the Holy Spirit and ask HIM to help you. Sitting next to Jesus on the school bus or playing with Him at the park, would be awesome, but as believers in Jesus, we have an even better position – we have His Spirit living in us!
Praise Jesus for sending the Spirit!
