A Little Help?

“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart,
I will send Him to you.”
-Jesus to His followers, John 16: 7

          The first time I read this verse I had to re-read it at least three times, it made so little sense to me. How could Christ’s disciples possibly be better off without Him? And for that matter, how could the world itself be better off without His physical presence in it?

Well, sure, it’s not an either/or. We don’t choose between having Jesus or the Holy Spirit, since the Trinity is, praise God, a package deal. Paul describes our bodies as literal temple dwellings of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 6:19) and Jesus promised both He and the Father would make their home with those who love and obey Him. (John 14:23) So I’m host to all three, an amazing concept and worth remembering. Still, there’s something critical about the Holy Spirit’s work in a believer, so critical that aside from describing in detail how the Spirit would come alongside, empower, and inspire us (John 16: 5-15) Jesus also insisted His guys stay put in Jerusalem until the Spirit came upon them (Acts 1:4-5) giving a divine tone to the old Don’t Leave Home Without It command.

The Old King James Bible refers to Him as the Comforter; the New King James changed it to Helper, and both sound pretty good to me. There’s a legal sense in the original Greek word paraklētos which means someone who’s summoned alongside another, like an advocate or, specifically, an attorney. Attorneys (when they do it right) both comfort and help, arguing a case, preparing their client for what he’s facing, and reassuring while enlightening. So the Spirit’s many functions as both Helper and Comforter stand out.

Now, the few times I’ve had to use an attorney (thankfully a rare event but hey, it happens) there are a couple remarks the attorneys made that are, in hindsight, remarkably like the ones I’m pretty sure the Holy Spirit would say to me as well.

“If only you’d come to me sooner!”

          I’m unapologetically a Scrooge about spending money on a professional if I can do it myself. I’m also (quite apologetically) a Dumbo when trying to handle matters better left to an expert. By the time I finally getting around to saying “A little help”, I’ve already made my life harder by delaying the request. So when dealing with copyright or estate matters, I would have been much smarter letting the pro handle it from the beginning.

I’d also be smarter taking Jesus at His word when He commended the Spirit’s helping abilities. Because today there are people who aggravate me, international affairs that frighten me, situations I’m scrambling to handle. The Holy Spirit offers me wisdom, guidance, comfort and boldness while I face the giants, and if I’ll be wise enough to seek Him from the outset, my daily contests will have much happier endings.

“Look at me when you get nervous.”

I had to testify once in a particularly ugly case, and God grant that be a onetime experience! I certainly wasn’t on trial, but as a witness I was open to scrutiny, challenge, and hard questions. Other people’s welfare was on the line and, to an extent, their future, so the pressure was fierce. My attorney told me beforehand to keep glancing at him when it got rough, and he’d provide the nod, smile, or reassuring presence I’d need.

Jesus made it clear we’re not alone when it gets rough, not even when testifying before kings or facing hostility. (Matthew 10:19-20) The Spirit, He promised, would be present to inspire the right answer and calm us in the middle of fearful times. If I remember to look to Him when it gets rough, it really does work. The nod, the smile, the reassuring presence are all there, available and ready.

Open for Business

Full disclosure – I’m a charismatic Assemblies of God believer, so yes, I do believer in the modern operation of the spiritual gifts listed in I Corinthians 12 and 14. These days I’m not sure how much that really matters when it comes to fellowship, because I find I have more in common with a serious believer, Charismatic or not, than with one who’s spiritually sluggish or doctrinally astray, Charismatic or not.

But when we talk about “walking in the Spirit”, as prescribed by Paul (Galatians 5:16) I’m sure we’re talking about something transcending doctrinal differences over the gifts and baptisms. The bottom line is that Jesus said the Holy Spirit’s work in and through us is an essential; Paul advises we literally walk in the Spirit to avoid polluting ourselves; and the early Christians (who I think are worth emulating in most ways) relied clearly and consistently on the Holy Spirit. Indeed, take Him out of the Book of Acts, and you’ve got pretty sparse reading!

So today we can humbly ask Him to make Himself known to us, by His presence, the peace it brings, the still small voice of guidance, the needed wisdom when our own runs dry, and for the power to serve. (Without which, our service is
pretty lame.)

He’s open for business, the Father’s business, and I want to be about that very thing. So Holy Spirit please speak, lead, prod, help.

And since I’m a pro at taking the wheel when I’m not the designated driver, don’t be shy about pushing me aside. Because a little help, from You, goes an awfully long way.