The Unopened Gift

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The Holy Spirit is the most mysterious part of the Trinity.  We are told of God and the ways he worked from Genesis to Revelation. We have evidence of Jesus life on Earth, of his death and resurrection.  The Spirit of God or Holy Spirit is mentioned throughout the Old Testament but not in a descriptive way. In the book of John, Jesus stated that he was leaving the Holy Spirit with us.  

John 14:25-26 NIV

[25] “All this I have spoken while still with you. [26] But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

The Holy Spirit is addressed primarily in the New Testament and his activity was first noted extensively in Acts. Still, He remains mysterious to many Christians. From what we do know, it is the Holy Spirit that is closest to us. As Jesus said, He is our advocate. 

An online dictionary gives these synonyms for advocate:  champion, upholder, supporter, backer, promoter, proponent, protector, spokesperson for, speaker for, campaigner for, fighter for, battler for, crusader for, missionary, reformer, pioneer, and pleader. 

Now who couldn’t use that?  How blessed we are as followers of Christ!  According to my understanding, when you surrender your life to follow Christ, the Holy Spirit enters and becomes a ride-along passenger in your heart.  However, the free choice thing still stands.  You can choose to ignore Him and He will be quiet.  But should you choose to develop your listening skills, you will hear his voice.  His voice will strengthen you, guide you and comfort you through this very difficult Christian trek on Earth. He will place peace in your heart when all around you is turmoil. So how do you develop this incredible resource?  I will share some of my journey with you.

Even though I invited Christ into my life at a very young age, I was seldom aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit for most of my life. I was not tuned in to Him.  Did he leave me because I ignored him for so long?  Praise the Lord, no.  He remained there, an unopened gift.  So how did I begin unwrapping this gift?  It was through prayer and searching.  In the last ten years of my life, I have been on a mission to discover what He has for me.  I set aside time to read my Bible, pray, confess my sins daily, and read reliable literature.  I am even trying to memorize verses which is the hardest thing in the world for my forgetful 60 year old mind. (I found out there is an app for that!)  I listen to messages given about every topic in the Bible and I sing and dance to songs of praise.  This seeking God is the most important part of my life now.  It has become my priority.  

This has changed me.  It has changed my view on many topics. It has changed how I interact with my world.  Don’t think for a minute that it has changed my world.  My daily challenges are as daunting as ever.  Some days I feel like I am under attack.  However, I am aware of the most amazing weapon in this battle.  You guessed it, the Holy Spirit.  He gives me power that I never had on my own, power to overcome the chains of habits and hang ups.  He provides me with wisdom and direction when I listen.  I am learning to distinguish the sound of His voice from the sound of the accuser’s voice.  The more I listen, the more I hear.  I am so excited to hear what he has to say that I look forward to the next encounter.

If you have more questions about the Holy Spirit and how He speaks to you, I recommend the book, Discerning the Voice of God by Priscilla Shirer.  In that book, she answered so many questions that I have always struggled to understand and helped me open this beautiful, priceless gift that was left for me.