When Hard Decisions Come, You Have Someone To Help

Word-Of-The-Day: ‘The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.’ (Proverbs 12:15); ‘<Jesus said to the Apostles,>”But the Advocate <or Helper, or Counselor>,<that is> the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”’ (John 14:26)

I never like to car shop.  I dislike the process of buying a new car, and I would rather drive a car until it falls apart.  However, at the point when a car falls apart is when one must go get a new car.  (It is better to drive into a dealership than to be towed into one.) 

There are other things in like we don’t like to do, but when it’s time we must do it.  When my dad was passing back on New Year’s Eve in 1997, he had suffered a stroke and on life support.  The doctor asked my mother if he should remove my dad from the machines, and mom looked at me and said, ‘you decide, I can’t.’  I was only a Christian for a couple of years, but I quietly and quickly asked the Holy Spirit to help me, and He gave me the answer and the courage to respond to the doctor, ‘Yes, remove him from the life support.’ 

I did not want to make this decision.  It was hard, and it was difficult, but it had to be made.  We face many decisions like this, though not all are as heart breaking and emotional, there are situations that are hard to face throughout our lives.  It is never easy to leave a job that we like, even if the next one is better (especially if the next job is ‘retirement’).  We don’t like to see relationships end, or the personal investment we made stop.  There are times we have to tell a loved one or a good friend bad news, or to say goodbye as we relocate from a home we love. 

These situations and decisions that come from them are when we must lean on the Holy Spirit.  In John 14:26, Jesus told His disciples that He was leaving them, that His earthly time was coming to an end, but He would ensure they would have someone to lean on and to continue teaching them the Gospel of Jesus, His Word and God’s perfect plan.  The Holy Spirit is the part of the Triune God that does not get as much attention, yet He is with those of us who have accepted Jesus on a 24/7/365 (366 on leap years) basis without break!

The Holy Spirit is God Indwelled; we who believe have within us the Holy Spirit to give us direction and advice.  When we face those times that are the most difficult, it is the Holy Spirit who we should ask to provide us advice.  It is foolish not to!  As stated in Proverbs 12:15, if you go by your own feelings, you can betray yourself.  Your desires, driven by temptation, can lead to misery and pain.  When you listen to the Holy Spirit, problems can be avoided, and helps avoid the pitfalls that can entrap us.

Fortunately, the Holy Spirit is with us in the good times, as well.  He provides for us counseling on how good things can be even better!  What better resource do we have that we quite honestly don’t tap into as much as we should?  Ask the Spirit to guide you into what Jesus wants to do in your life today!