Our scripture this week is John 14:15-21.
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and 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 14:16-17
We are promised “another advocate”, the Holy Spirit, as a guide and friend. Jesus teaches that God will be with us in this way to remind us of what we have learned. His presence is a constant love supporting us every day.
Just as God the Father and Jesus the Son have done, the Holy Spirit is not a coercive force, but one that encourages us to follow the example we have been given. We bear the responsibility for our own thoughts, words and actions. It is our choice to be obedient children or not, and there is no exception to this.
The Holy Spirit has sometimes been explained with the acronym WWJHUD (what would Jesus have us do). This is our memory device to ask ourselves how Jesus would want us to handle a situation. We don’t always choose well, but if we ask forgiveness from the Lord and those we have wronged, and earnestly try to do better, we can regain our footing on the path Jesus set for us.
Loving Lord, we are often emotional and selfish creatures, choosing our desires over what we know is right. Help us to be strong in the Spirit, remembering the gifts and responsibilities we have been given. Amen.