Click here to go to the Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:4-17

We live in a world in which we are pressured to work hard. We teach it to our children. If you want to achieve something in life, get off the couch, stop playing on your phone or tablet the whole day, and start working. Success won’t come to you. No, you need to work hard for it.

And that is true. If you don’t get up to fight for your little space in the sun, you’ll stay in someone else’s shadow all the time. That’s the way life is – you need to work to get somewhere.

We have to apply this same method in our faith. We want to work to achieve our little space in heaven. It’s difficult for us to understand that we don’t have to do anything to get to heaven. The Word of God says that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive everything. His death on the cross made this possible, not me.

When I realise what He had done for me, I want to and I cannot do anything in response and out of gratitude, but align my actions with his will. Then I want to make a positive impact on the world. But Jesus has already prepared my place in heaven.

God doesn’t stop helping us here. He gives us the Holy Spirit to help us. His Holy Spirit advises us about God’s will for our lives and what we have to cut off, rebuild, pull out and change.

We must understand exactly what the Holy Spirit does and what His role in our lives is, because we’ll miss out on a lot if we don’t. Paul says: 17Nothing comes between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. 18And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.

Again this is very different from the world. We don’t have to stumble around on our own wondering what God’s will is. He has already made a plan, which is to give each of us the Holy Spirit to help us. The Holy Spirit shines his flash light on all the dark spots in our lives. When we become calm and close our ears to the noise of the world, we know deep inside which things we have to delete from our lives. Everyone knows what is right and what is wrong and this is where the Holy Spirit helps us.

But even more, the Holy Spirit shows us the way. He makes us sensitive to the need in the world. He helps us to discover our gifts and how to change our actions to fall exactly within the will of God. The Holy Spirit takes us by the hand and walks with us step-by-step.

For some of us this is a long process, because such a lot of work needs to be done. Many ways and habits have to be cut off or sawn off. Fortunately, we don’t have to do the work on our own. The Holy Spirit helps us with it. However, we have to give the Holy Spirit space to do His thing. We should actually abdicate – get off our throne and ask the Holy Spirit to take the reins. This is a continuous process, because every now and again we try and do things the way we want to.

But we should do it over and over again. Let’s allow the Holy Spirit to do His work within us. He knows what to do and He knows what is best for our lives. Then the picture will look good to God and we will be able to make a real impact in the world.

Reflection

Do you believe that the Holy Spirit still works in us today?

How much space does the Holy Spirit enjoy in your life?

Where do you still keep Him out?

Prayer

Lord, thank You that I don’t have to do things on my own. Thank You for giving us your Spirit to work in us and to help us to look more like You want us to look. Please help me surrender my whole life to the control of the Spirit, because I know then I will be able to make a bigger impact in the world. Amen