The journey to follow the Holy Spirit won’t be easy. Think about the trials the first recipients of the Holy Spirit had to endure. The apostles were transformed from ordinary men to evangelists, founding a new religion, a new way of life. They faced persecution, imprisonment and death for what they were preaching. Yet, they persevered.
We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5:3-5
I love these words from Paul. We should not despair when we face trials and suffering, because as we persevere through those trials, we are building character and developing hope. The hope that comes from the love of God poured out on us in the Holy Spirit.
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So, I encourage you even when the road ahead seems dark and difficult, press on! Persevere! Lean into the Holy Spirit, even if you don’t feel His presence. He is there and will bring you through. And, you will come through having learned new lessons, developed some character and found new hope in God.
Battles are fought in our minds every day. When we begin to feel the battle is just too difficult and want to give up, we must choose to resist negative thoughts and be determined to rise above our problems. We must decide that we’re not going to quit. When we’re bombarded with doubts and fears, we must take a stand and say: “I’ll never give up! God’s on my side. He loves me, and He’s helping me! I’m going to make it!- Joyce Meyer
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This post is part of a 4 week series about the Holy Spirit. Click HERE to catch up on other posts in this series.
This series will look at topics such as:
– Inviting the Holy Spirit to begin working within us
– How to listen for the Holy Spirit
– What it means to obey the guidance of the Holy Spirit
– How obedience is linked to trust
– How the Holy Spirit equips us, even when we don’t feel qualified
– What impact we can have in the world when we open ourselves to the Holy Spirit
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Holly Barrett says
It is so hard to persevere when we face trials and sufferings. Grateful for your encouragement today to keep on striving, to look to the Spirit for help, and to overcome. Glad to have you at Testimony Tuesday too, friend!
Kathryn says
Thanks, Holly!
jenpcv says
“Lean into the Holy Spirit, even if you don’t feel His presence. He is there and will bring you through.” A great reminder…sometimes it feels like I’m alone, but in reality, the Holy Spirit is next to me. I just need to remember that and not lose faith!
Great post today. Stopping over from Testimony Tuesday!
Kathryn says
Thanks for stopping by! Glad you were encouraged!