John 16
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.” John 16:12-15 NKJV
The Holy Spirit is also called the Spirit of truth. Here, Jesus explains that one of the roles of the Holy Spirit is to “guide you into all truth” (verse 13). The Spirit speaks to you, repeating what the Father and the Son have already said. This repetition is necessary for most of us to hear and put into action what is being asked of us. Although the Spirit will direct you into understanding ALL truth, it usually happens gradually so that it is not overwhelming. Truths may be revealed to you about what is expected of you, or what needs to change in your life in order to bring you in line with God’s will. You may receive repeated reminders and feel convicted in certain areas of your life until you act or make the necessary changes He is requiring of you. How does the Spirit do this in your everyday life? He may direct you to a particular scripture, church service, book, teaching CD, movie, podcast, or person that is put in your path to remind you of the message you need to hear. If you are repeatedly hearing a recurring idea coming from various sources in your life, you need to make sure to pay attention to it and take it seriously. Make this your prayer, which invites God into your heart and tells Him that you are open to making whatever changes are necessary to please Him: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23,24). The Holy Spirit is going to convict you on things that are contrary to God’s will “because the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastens everyone He accepts as His son” (Hebrews 12:6). God wants to guide you to a place where you can have more peace, more joy, more contentment, and where your conscience will not be bothering you about anything. It is in this place that you will know what Jesus meant when He said: “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). You will be unable to progress in your faith until you accept the truth that God is trying to teach you right now. So, keep your ears and your heart open and be willing to accept whatever truth He is trying to teach you today.
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NKJV. Here is a prediction from Jesus that unfortunately we have all experienced: “In this world you will have trouble.” There is no way around it in this fallen world we live in. At times, this life can be full of stress, strife, struggles, sorrow and sickness. This is precisely where allowing Jesus into our lives changes absolutely everything! Following the teachings of Jesus and living our lives for God’s glory allows us to have peace and be victorious in spite of problems. When we approach God through prayer, follow His guidelines in the Bible, and allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives, we can overcome anything that this world throws at us. The apostle Paul wrote this about his earthly problems: “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17). To give some perspective on what Paul endured in his life for his faith, the “light” troubles he experienced are described in 2 Corinthians 11:24-26: “Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.” Paul was able to stay focused on his eternal life to come, rather than dwelling in misery because of the trials he was enduring. As Christians, we always have the hope of eternity with God to look forward to. Although this is an absolute truth that we need to remember, God does not want us to just struggle through our lives until our time to go to Heaven arrives. Jesus died for us, so that we could have incredible, fruitful, joyful, peaceful lives while on Earth. How can we possibly continue to have joy and peace while undergoing painful or stressful times in life?
1. Remember that trials refine your character and strengthen your faith. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4).
2. Don’t whine and complain about your problems, as this takes your focus off of God. Instead, honor the sacrifice made by Jesus on your behalf: “And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).
3. Follow the examples of Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, and so many of the early Christian leaders who refused to let calamities destroy their peace and joy while on earth. “You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 1:6).
What “light and momentary troubles” are you experiencing today? Make sure to stay committed to and focused on God and His plans, and let Jesus give you the internal peace that He died to give you.