“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)
Yesterday the meditation theme was about the example we can be as witnesses to Christ without words. This message is about how the Holy Spirit is so eager to bear witness to Christ, that He will literally change the topic of our conversations in order to bear witness to Him. Once in a while I pray, asking Him to make His presence known to everyone in a room with me, during my work day.
If and whenever I remember to pray this way before I start my day, something always happens, and He never fails to step into the conversation, turning it around, to center it on Jesus. The great commission, where Jesus told believers to preach the gospel to every creature, is not a weight of responsibility on our shoulders, but simply about listening for our cue to say a few simple words at the right time. Bearing witness to Jesus is the Holy Spirit’s job, it’s His area of expertise, and I’ve seen how He takes over many conversations, and I just need to listen for my cue. If we speak when it’s our cue, the rest is in His divine hands. If I’ve learned anything over the years in every job I’ve ever had, it’s that the HoIy Spirit is super eager to bear witness to Jesus. He is so eager that I can remember the few times and the most uncanny ways, that the Holy Spirit took over conversations, and Jesus suddenly became the topic. Even this week, a coworker was talking about aging and dying, and she just spontaneously said, “ I don’t want to die.” When I heard that, something sparked within me, because it was my cue. I said “No one wants to die, but dying is where we can meet Jesus face to face.” Her childlike statement “I don’t want to die” was the work of the Holy Spirit, stirring her heart, and He started that conversation. There was a seed to be planted, and praying for her will be the watering of the seed. A week or two ago, a conversation with two others at work, strangely evolved into one about God and forgiveness. I wish I could recall how it even began, but someone was adamantly giving their opinion that mass murderers, tyrants or murderers of any kind, can never be forgiven and can never, ever go to heaven. I sensed my cue and could only think of one thing to say. In a gentle way, I simply said, “but Jesus forgave His murderers from the cross.” Though they didn’t accept my answer, it left them with an image of Jesus on a cross, forgiving the worst of men. What a blessing to have a segway into a conversation to present that image to people in the middle of a work day. I was filled with awe at the Holy Spirit’s way of coming into that conversation. God’s truth, when presented in kindness, will surely accomplish something later. We can plant seeds or water them, but only God causes the growth. God’s mercy is too great for us to fully comprehend, and people put their own limitations on how far His grace and forgiveness will go, but it’s better to be at the mercy of God than at the mercy of men. The Holy Spirit is trying to reveal God’s mercy to all people every day, especially if He is invited into our day. By asking Him to come into the room and make His presence know to others, He surprisingly will not disappoint, and it’s a powerful prayer. He is so eager to bear witness to Jesus, and when He is invited, He stirs hearts and gives us the right words to say. Try it and see, and then simply listen for the cue.