Never Alone
Life is hard. Why does it seem like there is always something that is about to go wrong? Pain seems to hide around every corner of our calendar-driven life. The loss of a loved one. A bad medical diagnosis. Inflation. Crime. Hatred. Is this how it is supposed to be?
Unfortunately, we have conditioned ourselves to just accept that this is how it was always meant to be. “Well, that’s life.” We hear it over and over again. The reality is that we were created to live in perfection, in a perfect union with our Creator and Father. In the beginning, there was no pain, no longing, and no stress. That is something none of us have ever realized. Because of sin, the whole “perfect world" thing was hijacked and replaced with turmoil.
JOURNAL: Take a moment and be honest with God about some times that have been difficult. Write down how you felt and ask God to show you where He was in the hard moments of your life.
So what then? Someone thousands of years ago messed this whole thing up for us, and now we have to live in the pain of this world without hope? Not exactly. Yes, we have to live in a fallen, broken world. And yes, pain and death are markings of this life that we are not able to shake, but that is not the end of the story. The truth is that even in our fallen and broken life, we can live as citizens of heaven. How?
I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33 NLT
We have to rely on someone who resides with us, but is not from here. That person is the Holy Spirit. The Bible reminds us that with our time on this earth, we are made for more, and the Holy Spirit was sent to help lead and comfort us on the journey. Does He replace pain? No, but He does walk through the pain with us. He can replace your stress and anxiety with peace and hope.
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. - John 14:16-17 NLT
That is the best part. He never leaves or forsakes us. That means there is never a moment that He is here. This past year has been a difficult one for me and my family. We have had to walk the pains of losing family members, and some in the most tragic of circumstances. With that brought the sting of loss, but we also had to navigate talking to our young sons and explaining to them why they can’t see their Papa anymore. These difficult times are the “that’s life” moments that I have been accustomed to. The difference is that in pain, the Holy Spirit brought peace and even joy. In the challenging conversations, He brought wisdom. In everything, He brought hope.
If you allow Him, the Holy Spirit can bring a heavenly perspective to every situation this world brings. Will you allow Him to?
JOURNAL: What are some ways you can invite the Holy Spirit into all aspects of your life?
PRAYER: Holy Spirit, Come. I invite You into every situation I face, the good and the bad. Be the peace in troubled seasons and the joy in the morning.
Unfortunately, we have conditioned ourselves to just accept that this is how it was always meant to be. “Well, that’s life.” We hear it over and over again. The reality is that we were created to live in perfection, in a perfect union with our Creator and Father. In the beginning, there was no pain, no longing, and no stress. That is something none of us have ever realized. Because of sin, the whole “perfect world" thing was hijacked and replaced with turmoil.
JOURNAL: Take a moment and be honest with God about some times that have been difficult. Write down how you felt and ask God to show you where He was in the hard moments of your life.
So what then? Someone thousands of years ago messed this whole thing up for us, and now we have to live in the pain of this world without hope? Not exactly. Yes, we have to live in a fallen, broken world. And yes, pain and death are markings of this life that we are not able to shake, but that is not the end of the story. The truth is that even in our fallen and broken life, we can live as citizens of heaven. How?
I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33 NLT
We have to rely on someone who resides with us, but is not from here. That person is the Holy Spirit. The Bible reminds us that with our time on this earth, we are made for more, and the Holy Spirit was sent to help lead and comfort us on the journey. Does He replace pain? No, but He does walk through the pain with us. He can replace your stress and anxiety with peace and hope.
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. - John 14:16-17 NLT
That is the best part. He never leaves or forsakes us. That means there is never a moment that He is here. This past year has been a difficult one for me and my family. We have had to walk the pains of losing family members, and some in the most tragic of circumstances. With that brought the sting of loss, but we also had to navigate talking to our young sons and explaining to them why they can’t see their Papa anymore. These difficult times are the “that’s life” moments that I have been accustomed to. The difference is that in pain, the Holy Spirit brought peace and even joy. In the challenging conversations, He brought wisdom. In everything, He brought hope.
If you allow Him, the Holy Spirit can bring a heavenly perspective to every situation this world brings. Will you allow Him to?
JOURNAL: What are some ways you can invite the Holy Spirit into all aspects of your life?
PRAYER: Holy Spirit, Come. I invite You into every situation I face, the good and the bad. Be the peace in troubled seasons and the joy in the morning.
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