Today’s Gospel passage from John is a good opportunity for us to reflect on the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Jesus tells His disciples that He will send the Advocate and talks about how He will “convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation” (John 16:8). I think one thing that this passage is getting at is the need for us to be led by the Holy Spirit and just how important He is. Do we allow ourselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit?
As Christians, our words, and actions should point to Jesus. In our sinful and human nature, this can be difficult. But the more we open ourselves up to the Holy Spirit, the more our lives will reflect Jesus. We have been given the Holy Spirit to help us live our faith daily and to share it with others. How often do we fail to recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives? He is just as essential to the Trinity as the Father and the Son, yet we often don’t seek His guidance or we don’t take time to understand His role in our lives.
Throughout my life, there are things I have done that I recognize as being because of the Holy Spirit. There are certain things that I know I would never have done on my own but that I have been convicted to do because of prompting from the Holy Spirit. He gives us courage to step out of our comfort zones and to share our faith. When He calls us to do something, He does not leave us hanging, but He guides us and leads us through whatever tasks we have been given.
The Holy Spirit is always working in our lives, whether we recognize Him or not. My prayer for each of us today is that we would continue to open ourselves up more to the Holy Spirit in our lives, listen and respond to His promptings, and allow Him to guide us. May we all be filled up more by His presence!
Faith and The Good Stuff 