Put Your Personal Assistant to Work

Your Helper, the Holy Spirit - Week 3

Your Personal Assistant stands and waits, ready for a task.

Always asking “How can I help you?”

So where is your list for him? What duties do you have in mind for your Helper?

From last week’s study we learned that Jesus asked the Father to send us a Helper. We also experienced a picture of our Helper’s gracious acceptance of this position. This Helper is the Holy Spirit. He came to us to represent Jesus and act on his behalf. (John 14:26 AMP)

I think we are all aware that the Holy Spirit (I like to call our #1 Personal Assistant) has much to offer. However, I wonder how much time our PA spends hearing about the tasks we have lined up for him. You know this Helper has supreme qualifications. Do you trust him to get the job done? Of course you trust him. Then where are your requests?

Having trouble with exactly what to ask of the Holy Spirit for daily living? Let me help you out with this perplexing position you may find yourself in.

Let’s start with a story from a familiar leader in the Bible. His name is Paul. Remember the guy who was a principal founder of Christianity and wrote a large amount of the New Testament? You know the great missionary who preached to people around the world? I want to explore with you how Paul used the Holy Spirit as his personal assistant. You will love this story. It is probably not one you hear often. In the following scriptures, Paul is referring back to the first visit he made to Corinth on his second missionary trip.

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 NIV

And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.

Paul describes himself this way:

· I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom.

· I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling.

· My message and my preaching were not with wise and

persuasive words.

This sounds to me like Paul was nervous, anxious and fragile with the task of this sermon or speech. He acknowledges that he did not come with wisdom and exceptional articulation. He did say that he resolved to know nothing while with them except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I do not believe he was not capable and wise to speak to them, but chose to rely on the Holy Spirit instead. So how did he approach the platform with this challenge? He needed a Supreme Personal Assistant. He called on his most wise, fervent and well-spoken Helper, the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:4-5 NIV

My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.

Paul attributes the success of his speech to the demonstration of the Holy Spirit, his Helper! The Holy Spirit guided his words to share the gospel. His Helper gave power to his sermon to bring glory to Jesus. Paul used his extraordinary PA!

Ladies this is only one of many examples in the Bible that teaches us what we have access to through the Holy Spirit. This week I have a little challenge for you! First you will meditate on a simple truth. According to Paul, he was not fully capable to have a compelling sermon that day. But with a demonstration of the Holy Spirit's power, the words had great influence. A church was established with Paul’s stay there.

Meditate on a few words this week from this verse:

1 Corinthians 2:4-5 NIV

My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.

The Holy Spirit, your PA, can and will demonstrate his power to help you! Meditate on this truth: The Holy Spirit can and will demonstrate his power and help you!

Are you ready for the challenge? Yes, you are ready and excited! Because we are learning how to use our Helper and Personal Assistant Extraordinaire, the Holy Spirit!

This week find a task you need to perform that can use the help of a personal assistant. It can be a small job or a whale of a job. Just choose a task that can use some assistance. I am considering a long awaited talk I need to have with someone I care deeply about. I want to use words that speak to this person’s heart and soul. I figure that the Holy Spirit, my Helper, is perfect for the job. He knows all of our hearts and souls!

Choose anything. It does not have to involve words. It can involve actions. Ask God to reveal a good choice for you in this challenge. Now once you decide on the task, tell your Personal Assistant all about it. Look at your Helper awaiting his task. He is ready and thrilled at your request. The Holy Spirit deemed himself worthy to be called your Helper.

Tell him the task! Do it! Tell him why you struggle with it. Remember your Personal Assistant (assigned by God) is also a Comforter. Let out your emotions if you want. Give him every detail of why you need help. This is not some quick text or call. You two are face to face. Your Helper wants to hear you and see your heart, so that he can properly make a demonstration of his power to assist you.

Next end your conversation with gratitude and thanksgiving to the Holy Spirit, a part of God. This is the easiest gratitude you will ever deliver because this PA does everything in excellence.

As you think about this job you have assigned your Helper, praise God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit for this opportunity to use your trust in them. You have a chance to let your Helper demonstrate his power to you and perhaps others.

Do not consider thoughts of doubt in this process. Doubt will most likely arrive. Satan is watching this challenge of depending on a source of help from God. The earthly outcome may be irrelevant compared to the journey you will take in trusting the Holy Spirit. Heaven will be cheering you on as you allow the Holy Spirit to hear you and accept his task for you. Paul may be applauding you the most as he observes this step of faith, that he is very familiar with.

Enjoy this challenge. It is one that can only prosper! Our Helper is God’s favor at work!