Rely on the Holy Spirit daily for contentment. Every day big or small troubles come our way, and we need to be ready so we don’t fall. Even if we do fall, the Spirit is there to help. He is the one to help pick us back up. He gives us the aid we need to get through those trials to move on.
How do I daily rely on the Holy Spirit for contentment? Let’s see what God’s Word has to say.
Rely on the Holy Spirit – How do we get it?
Before Jesus died on the cross in place of our sins, He spoke with the disciples and had a long talk with them. He let them know He would send them a helper when He left this world (John 16:7).
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever.
John 14:16 ESV
This same Holy Spirit is given to people when they believe in Jesus and ask Him to take control of their lives. Paul and Barnabas shared the gospel with the people at Antioch. Many people believed in Jesus (Acts 13:48) and received the Holy Spirit.
And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
Acts 13:52 ESV
Rely on the Holy Spirit Power
And when Paul and Silas were in Thessalonica, the believers understood the truth of God’s Word. They were fully convicted of their sin due to the power of the Holy Spirit that came upon them.
Our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.
1 Thessalonians 1:5 ESV
The believer understood how they needed to live and imitated the example of Paul and Silas, who imitated Christ. The Jews in the city were persecuting them for their belief. But within the troubles they were enduring, the joy of the Spirit they received was evident in their lives. Their joy was a great example to the other believers.
And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers.
1 Thessalonians 1: 6-7 ESV
A Poor Example of Relying on the Holy Spirit
While traveling with my mom this past weekend, I studied this passage in 1 Thessalonians. I shared this passage with her and the example of the believers expressing the joy of the Spirit even during their troubles. We agreed that having the Holy Spirit within us helps us be joyful even in trying times.
Yet two hours later, I was angry with my mom. I was not a good example of how the joy of the Spirit was within me during a moment of testing my patience. Thankfully, after apologizing to my Mom and confessing my actions to the Lord, I was forgiven.
It takes practice to keep relying on the Spirit. We must remind ourselves what God tells us in His Word to keep us focused on Him, even when circumstances are challenging.
Depend on the Holy Spirit by Abiding in Him
When Jesus spoke with the disciples, He shared the example of a vine and its branches. He said He was the true vine and the disciples were the branches. If a vine doesn’t abide or remain close to the vine, it will die and fall off. And if the branches stay close to the vine, they will bear fruit.
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
John 15:4 ESV
We need to depend on the Holy Spirit daily for our strength. Staying close to the Spirit means we will have the strength to get through the hard times. But if we don’t continually draw on the power of the Spirit, we will fall and have a challenging time. Much like my situation during the weekend.
Remaining close with the Spirit bears fruit in how we speak to others. And we have full and complete joy when we abide in God and the Holy Spirit (John 15:11 ESV)!
This song talks about the vine and the branches story, abiding in God, and how we need to depend on Him. It is one called “Abide” by The Worship Initiative, featuring Aaron Williams. I heard it on Sunday, listening to my son and daughter-in-law’s church service. Love this song!
Set your Mind on the Spirit
So how do we depend on the Holy Spirit daily for our strength? We need to set our minds on the Spirit.
In Romans, Paul tells believers they need to change their thinking. Their mindset needed to be on the Spirit instead of the flesh.
For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
Romans 8:6 ESV
We need to do the same thing. So many things in this world distract us from the truth of God’s Word. And when we clutter our minds with thoughts, feelings, and opinions contrary to the scriptures’ truths, this leads us closer to death. Unresolved anger can kill a person (Job 5:2 ESV).
Instead, our minds need to be filled with the Spirit. One way to do that is to memorize scripture to help us deal with that anger.
Summary of Daily Reliance on the Spirit
When we have the same power of the Holy Spirit that was given to the disciples and early believers of the church, and it is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, we CAN rely on the Spirit daily. We need to depend and rely on Him by staying close, drawing on the truths of Scripture, and hiding them in our hearts and minds. When we do that, the joy of the Spirit shines brightly for others to see Jesus. And we experience complete joy and a life of peace.
