The Holy Spirit WIthin Us

“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father,

and he will give you another Counselor to 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.”

(John 14: 15-17)

Someone recently asked me, “How do you know when the Holy Spirit is speaking to you?  Do you actually ‘hear’ His voice?  How do know the difference between your thought and His?  How does He work in our lives?”  These are very good questions.  I’d love to hear your thoughts! 

My immediate response to the question of how do know when the Holy Spirit is talking to you, is that the voice is more of a message you hear deep within.  Initially, you might think it’s your thought.  

As believers in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit was given to us and resides in us.  Through the Holy Spirit, we are guided to take the right path, to say the right things, to be Godly in all we do.  The closer we become to God, the more you will recognize the Holy Spirit working within you.  As you react to that small voice within and then act on His plan for you, the more He works within you.   He removes us from sin as he guides us every day. 

In John 16:7-8, Jesus refers to the Spirit as a “Counselor” who will guide those who believe in him from all sin, righteousness and judgment.  As believers, and Christians, we want to please God and in return He gives us comfort with love, joy, peace, patience, endurance, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness.  God’s mission for us is to inspire others and lead them to Him by believing in His Son, Jesus Christ, who died for all of our sins so that we can be free from sin.

You will know you are being led by the Spirit by the fruit of your actions.  Do you feel that comfort, joy, peace, patience, endurance, kindness, faithfulness, and gentleness?  Sometimes that voice in your head will be so relentless that you know without a shadow of doubt that it is the Holy Spirit talking to you.  You can’t get that thought out of your head and when you do what He is telling you to do, the outcome will be amazing – better than you ever anticipated!  God is so good.  Be still, listen, and follow.  The best is yet to come!