The Holy Spirit is indeed a person …. actually the third person in the Blessed Trinity and not some vague mystery that only presents itself to those suddenly enraptured and speaking in tongues. And because He is considered equal to the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit possesses all the same divine characteristics as its two predecessors.

In John 14:16-18 Jesus – just prior to his ascension into heaven – made a crucial pledge to his disciples before his imminent departure, when he promised not to leave his devoted followers as orphans but instead asked the Father for a Helper known as the Spirit of Truth to reside within those who came to know God the Father and God the Son as one. Thus the all-important third person of the Blessed Trinity was born to assist the faithful in their mission to spread God’s word. Therefore, when a person becomes born again, God resides in that person as the Holy Spirit.

To me, the Holy Spirit is the ultimate bearer of truth that I am constantly called upon to measure my will up against as I attempt to make various choices directly affecting my personal life. He is there to manifest God’s character within me in a manner I could not possibly do all on my own. Given the opportunity, the Holy Spirit is thus there to assist me in folding love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, goodness and even self-control seamlessly into my life that I might draw upon their tender mercies as needed. He is not to be equated to the kind of conscious thought that flows forth from my mind as I continuously act and react according to external stimuli, but rather an important part of the stream of consciousness that makes up the energy in our Universe, that same energy we will return to when we die. It is a living, viable force designed to help bring out the best in us even when we fail to realize it’s there.

I believe that’s what the late Nelson Mandela was referring to when he said, “You are powerful beyond measure ….” The very fact that God resides within us dictates that conclusion. Inasmuch we believers are blessed with a limitless supply of resources from which to draw upon as we propel ourselves forward, going through this life endeavoring to fulfill our unique destinies. It is thus that we Christians are told to walk in the spirit (Galatians 15:25) and to be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) and by doing so, that very essence automatically promotes healthy spiritual growth from within. So is it any wonder why we – even some of the most devout Christians – often manage to make a mess of things when we fail to listen to our inner voice by asserting our own will over that of God’s?

Thinking back over my years, I find that every time I felt lost in my life, it was directly attributable to the fact I insisted upon imposing my will while at the same time ignoring God’s. Those thoughts and actions were born out of my own selfish desire to play host to an ego that fed me full of the kind of logic that dictated that I knew what was best for me in spite of a wealth of evidence to the contrary. Consequently, I was left with resulting carnage of my own making, fruitlessly searching for someone else to blame for my troubles while I toiled away, picking up the pieces of my life until I eventually came to my senses.

We’re all human …. and as such we want what we want when we want it, but that doesn’t always mean it’s right or even good for us at the time – and when it’s not – there’s undoubtedly unfortunate consequences to bear. Sometimes in order to gain perspective, we must be willing to relinquish control of our thoughts to that inner voice that will always want what’s best for us in terms of our continued growth and happiness, even when we fail to recognize the divinity in the plan. It can help if we learn to look at our bodies as a vessel that’s being piloted by someone – or something – far more capable than ourselves …. pure in intent and guided by unconditional love. As such, all we need do in order to make better, more informed decisions is from time-to-time quiet our minds and let the spirit guide us toward that truth that is God’s promise to each and every one of us.