John 14:15-21
“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” John 14:15-21 (NIV)
When I was growing up, my parents told me a lot of things, and implied that, as the oldest child, it was my duty to remember all of them. In addition to telling me how to differentiate between right and wrong and to be a good Christian, they told me the history of our family (and their respective families) and how they had come upon the life knowledge that they were passing on to me. At the time it was more information than I could reasonably take in and was competing with the outside influences associated with growing up. As I grow older, I find myself wishing that I had asked more questions and had written down more of the information that my parents had passed to me. That opportunity, unfortunately, is gone forever.
Now imagine yourself as being one of the Disciples, living in the presence of Jesus. You were there for His parables and miracles. You saw first-hand how He stood up for the persecuted and downtrodden. You heard His words and observed His actions. You saw His death and resurrection. It was so much to take in and occurred in such a short time. You want to remember it all, but, with so much going on, how can you?
By sending the Holy Spirit as Jesus told the Disciples, God assured us that Jesus’ teachings and words will not be forgotten and will live with us forever. The Holy Spirit has nudged and inspired humankind to record and spread the Word and is constantly providing us with opportunities to learn, teach, love, inspire, support and mentor.
God has provided us with His Advocate and passed on the life knowledge we need. Now it is up to us to follow His guidance and put His words into action. I stand ready to respond to the Holy Spirit’s nudges and to act accordingly. I hope that you are ready as well. You will make a difference if you respond.
Thanks be to God!
Questions for Reflection:
- Where do you turn for guidance when determining what is right or just?
- Has the Holy Spirit spurred you to act?
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, please help us to look to you for the guidance, inspiration, love and hope that we seek. Help us as well to truly appreciate your gifts of love, grace and your Son Jesus. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
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