One of my greatest struggles in life is anxiety. I struggle with this sometimes so much that it is debilitating. This is not of the Lord. I know that it is isn’t, but yet I still tell myself too often that it is. I cling to my anxiety because I am a sinner, and sin is unfortunately what is familiar. I cling to what I know and am constantly led into a battle with my flesh, which is wired for anxiety. I hate it, I hate the sin, I hate the state that it puts me in, and I hate that I am completely distracted from the Lord. I don’t trust that God that works in every part of my life and does not communicate with anxiety because He is just the opposite of that. And because He has the opposite of that, He has a Spirit that intercedes for me.
The Holy Spirit is: Counselor (John 14:26), truth (John 16:13), Comforter (John 14:16), our Helper (Romans 8:26), He is our Sanctifier (Romans 15:16), He testifies on my behalf (Romans 5:16), and He convicts (John 16:8)… and so much more. Upon accepting Christ, the Holy Spirit dwells in us. We are filled with the Spirit from that point on, but we can still refuse and quench the Spirit. I do this all to often. I convince myself that the Spirit brings upon my anxiety because something isn’t “right”. Oh how wrong I am. The Holy Spirit does not bring upon anxiety, but it can use it in order to draw me closer to the Lord. It uses Christ’s death and resurrection to assure me of my salvation, and the sovereignty and love of the Father. The Spirit Counsels, Helps, Guides, and Convicts me through difficult situations in order that I a may have life. I am filled with the Spirit: it never ceases to fill me, it never leaves me, it just guides me to difficult situations in order to bring in closer communication with God.
Through knowing all of this, I know what I must do. I must think of what God is. The Holy Spirit has placed this on my heart, He has filled me. The Spirit desires to see me trust in the Lord and to have faith. My anxieties are not of Him, but they can be used by Him. I cannot expect to “feel” the Spirit, but I must trust. The Spirit will not lead me astray or outside of God’s will. The Spirit desires to see me prosper and to glorify the Lord, and in order to do this it must bring me to brokenness… to my knees. I cannot see the Spirit, but I must trust that the work is there. The Spirit is a Counselor, a Helper, a Guide, He testifies for Me, He intercedes for me, He convicts me of my sin, He is good. He is good, and I have an inexpressible joy knowing this.
“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.” 1 Peter 1:8
