The Holy Spirit and You
Rely on the Holy Spirit.
When you get up in the morning, do you think about the Holy Spirit before you set about the day’s routine? Do you make a conscious choice to depend upon Him to equip you for whatever awaits? The reason many Christians feel defeated is because they don’t understand what the Spirit has come to do in and through them. Instead of relying on Him, they’re trying to live the Christian life in their own strength. However, self-reliance is a guarantee of a fruitless life.
Remember, what the Lord desires is a display of Spirit-produced fruit, not self-sufficient achievements. Human beings are capable of amazing accomplishments. We can preach sermons, teach Sunday school, feed the poor, and minister to the hurting in our own strength. In fact, entire churches can function without any help from the Spirit. But that’s not what God wants. The work He has for us is supernatural and requires a corresponding power to accomplish it. None of us is adequate for the task, apart from the empowerment of the Holy Spirit as He works through us. This was true even of Christ’s disciples: until the Spirit came upon them at Pentecost, they weren’t ready for the job of spreading the gospel (Luke 24:49).
Don’t think for a moment that this principle applies only to those who are serving in “the ministry.” We all need the Spirit’s power for every aspect of life. Anyone can live “a normal life,” but Jesus calls us to live supernaturally in such a way that we display His character in everything we do. Without divine empowerment, how are you going to become a godly parent or spouse, forgive someone who has hurt you deeply, endure suffering without bitterness, model Christlike character in the workplace, or demonstrate patience and kindness to cantankerous people? The fruit of the Spirit isn’t pumped out with self-effort (Gal. 5:22-23). All our striving and struggling to become better Christians will never produce a godly life. The only way to attain that is through the power of the Holy Spirit.
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