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It was an encouragement this week to be reminded of the significance of the Holy Spirit indwelling me. It is easy for the truth of the indwelling Holy Spirit to stay in the theological realm and never have it actually interface with how I live my daily life. Let’s each take up the challenge that Chris Lenoir gave to us on Sunday: pick an area in your life that you approach in a God-less way and focus very specifically on remembering (acknowledging and submitting to) the Holy Spirit in that area of life.

For me, I find such ‘God-lessness’ in the moments when I have to pivot from one task to another at work, or when I get home for the day. At work, I typically suppress any outward expression of frustration and “white knuckle” my way through, where I found I can slowly develop a bitter spirit.  At home, I find the temptation to relax and “treat myself” from a hard day of work often leading me to be lazy or be a “sluggard” for the rest of the day. So, how would remembering the Holy Spirit’s permanent indwelling help me approach these specific situations?

  1. Accountability. If the Holy Spirit indwells me always, then he is always watching. In both scenarios, I am in situations where nobody can see. They either don’t see me at home, or they don’t see my inner thoughts. But the Holy Spirit does. I don’t get to rest from holiness in the areas that nobody sees, because God the Holy Spirit is always there, and I can grieve him. (Ephesians 4:30)
  2. Responsibility. But the Holy Spirit isn’t just present. He also is there to help. I am not supposed to push for godly living in my own strength. I have been given a Helper who works in me both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13) So not only is it expected of me, but he provides me with the ability to pursue righteousness in those moments. When the temptation to say “but ____ is so hard” arises, this truth aids me.
  3. Stability. The Holy Spirit provides stability in my relationship with God when I sin. Because I am a human with a sinful nature, I still stumble and sin. But the indwelling of the Spirit isn’t like the anointing that King David and King Saul had. David prayed that God would not take his Holy Spirit from him (Psalms 51). Praise the Lord, that is a prayer we will never need to pray. The Holy Spirit permanently resides in us. When we falter and choose to sin, remembering the Holy Spirit’s indwelling reminds us that God will not abandon those whom he has called, even when we sin.

My prayer is that this would lead not just to good works, but also to a closer relationship with God. And it starts with being intentional to remember.