“But when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to Me.”
John 15:26 (RSV)
The Holy Spirit’s purpose is to bear witness of Jesus. He is eager for us to be witnesses, through our words and deeds, of what Jesus did and taught. He desires that we share Christ with others, but He is most powerful when we intentionally invite Him to come and join our day.
We have just entered the holiday season, and we’ll probably be with friends and relatives, who we don’t see on a regular basis. Some of them may have perspectives that greatly differ from one another, and it usually leads to many challenging discussions. We probably should invite the Holy Spirit to come and take control of our conversations this holiday season, to turn the focus on the goodness of God, rather than endless political debates.
I’ve learned that the day flows in a more positive direction if I start by inviting the Holy Spirit to come into it.
If I ask Him to come, He intervenes, but in some cases, He does more than intervene. He will actually hijack the conversation and turn the topic to Christ and His redemptive work on the cross.
When I was working full time in an operating room of a large hospital, I used to pray before going to work.
I always asked God to guide the hands of the surgeons, to operate with skill and wisdom, but the most powerful prayer was in inviting the Holy Spirit to come into the room and make His Presence known. It always seemed to result in a peculiar and abrupt shift in the topic of conversation.
One time, while we were between cases, there was a conversation going on between two other people in the room. Neither one of these men were religious, and yet the discussion suddenly shifted to the topic of God’s forgiveness.
It sounded like one man had heard a true story of a murderer who found forgiveness in prison, through repentance and faith in Christ, but he was adamant that such forgiveness could or should never happen. I was silently listening, as he went on and on, insisting that murderers can never be forgiven.
After listening for a few minutes, I could only think of one thing to say, so I said, “I understand how you feel, but Jesus forgave all of His own murderers from the cross.” He shook his head no, saying that it was ridiculous.
God’s mercy is ridiculous, because no one deserves it, but that’s how much God loves us. I said nothing more since my purpose is not to persuade anyone, but I was thankful to present the image of Jesus on the cross, forgiving the worst of humanity.
It’s the ultimate act of mercy, that Christ died for all sinners, and an honor to be able to speak of it, in the middle of a work day. The Holy Spirit uses our words to plant a seed or to water it, and He does it in His own timing.
I believe that the Holy Spirit hijacked that whole conversation into a discussion about God’s forgiveness.
I also believe it was a result of inviting Him into my work place that morning. He brought wisdom and truth through a few simple words, which will bear fruit at a later date.
One other day, a coworker was talking about aging and dying, which is a common subject among health care workers, but then, in the midst of the conversation, she paused and said, “I don’t want to die.” She was a perfectly healthy woman, and it was a strange and abrupt shift in the conversation. I paused in thought, and then said, no one wants to die, but dying is where we meet Jesus, and since He has promised us eternal life, we don’t need to fear death.
The Holy Spirit moved her to shift the topic of that conversation. I just listened and said what came to my mind, since He gives us the words to say. (Luke 12:12) Even though I didn’t say anything profound, I believe the Holy Spirit used those words for a purpose, to give her hope and comfort, by drawing her closer to God.
One time a conversation led me to pray a brief prayer with a coworker who was very stressed in caring for a disabled child. After that, his life took on a new direction, and he told me he felt renewed strength, having a more personal relationship with Jesus. He and his family later moved out of state, where he started a better job. We lost contact over time, but I am sure God is still blessing him.
It still amazes me how a few words spoken or a brief prayer, at the right moment in time, initiated by the Holy Spirit, can transform someone’s destiny. The Holy Spirit hijacks conversations in order to bear witness of Jesus and His truth. He does all the work, but He uses simple words of comfort or truth, which He gives us to say. Our words become a seed that later grows into a work of grace in someone’s life.
Jesus said that each person will receive the seed of faith in a different way, depending on the readiness of the soil of their heart. We never know whose soil is ready for the seed we plant, but the Holy Spirit does. We also may not know whether we are the planter of the seeds or the waterer of the seeds, but we do know that God causes all the growth.
Lord, thank you for your Holy Spirit, and we invite you into each day with us, as we listen for our cue to say whatever you put in our hearts to say. Give us words of kindness and truth, to water seeds of faith that will grow according to your timing. Amen