The Holy Spirit Guides You and Me 

I cannot remember ever hearing the Holy Spirit being mentioned on news reports to the degree it was done last week. Sometimes God is referred to, or even Jesus at times, but rarely do we hear much about what some consider to be the more mysterious member of the Holy Trinity. Even in some churches He tends to be given significant less recognition than the Father and the Son. However, I heard the Holy Spirit being repeatedly acknowledged by reporters in connection with the conclave of cardinals who were selecting a new pope of the Catholic church. It was suggested that these officials considered themselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit as they undertook this task of electing a leader. Supposedly, instead of being directed by personal preferences or church politics, they were operating under the influence of the Holy Spirit in making this decision.

I will leave it up to others to debate whether or not, or to what extent, the Holy Spirit may have been involved in that particular process. However, it was interesting to hear people acknowledge His presence and to indicate that He is actively involved in what is going on in the world. Nevertheless, I believe we need to be careful not to get the wrong idea. The Holy Spirit isn’t just at work among what some might consider to be a sacred gathering of church officials. He doesn’t work only in their lives or exclusively gives them guidance. Neither is His overseeing limited to certain matters such as the election of a pope. The Holy Spirit is accessible to all believers and His guidance is available to all who are open to it.

The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit comes to indwell every individual who puts his trust in Jesus as his Savior. “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (I Corinthians 3:16). As such, He is also there to work in our lives, to minister to us, and to give us guidance. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God (Romans 8:14). Jesus told His followers that the Holy Spirit would teach them (John 14:26) and guide them into all truth (John 16:13).

The point is that the Holy Spirit isn’t just available to a group of robe-clad church officials. He is present in the lives of all true followers of Jesus. Neither does He only show up when such a group gathers at the Vatican, a church building, or any other setting considered to be sacred. He is right there with us in our homes, at school, in the workplace, at the store, or wherever we happen to be. And He doesn’t just give us direction about such holy matters as the election of a church leader or other church-related issues. He can guide us about all the various choices we have to make each day, even those everyday decisions concerning family and work and personal issues. The Holy Spirit can apply God’s Word to whatever we are facing in our lives. He can show us the right way to go, as well as warn us when we start drifting away.

So let’s remember that we are privileged to have the very presence of God actively working in our lives. We don’t have to depend on cardinals, priests, or pastors to guide us. Their counsel might be needed and can be helpful. However, every believer has the anointing of the Holy Spirit on their own lives. We can lean on Him for support. We can trust Him to lead us as we go through life. So let’s allow the Holy Spirit to be our guide.