Submitted by Wendy Olmeda, PWOC Administrative Coordinator, Fort Belvoir
“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Romans 14:17 NKJV
There are many worthwhile benefits of living by the Holy Spirit. Sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of these benefits perhaps maybe because we’re having difficulty experiencing them, or because we’re so focused on getting rid of sin in our lives. Getting rid of sin is important, but God also wants us to enjoy the fruits of living for him. After all, Jesus came so that we would have life and life more abundantly (John 10:10).
Romans 14:17 reminds us that God’s kingdom is about righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. In our fast-paced and uncertain times, we certainly need peace and joy as we meet the daily challenges of life. Paul prayed in Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Hope is something that we cannot live without. It is an integral part of our faith in God. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The Holy Spirit will help us overflow with hope, and as a result our faith will be strengthened.
When we place our trust (faith) in Jesus, God sends the Holy Spirit to live in us (Ephesians 4:30). The Holy Spirit brings the life-changing power that enables us to live as a truly new person (Romans 8:11). If we respond to the Holy Spirit and cooperate with him, the “new person” in Christ will surely manifest in us (2 Corinthians 5:17). If we do not respond to the Holy Spirit, but rather, continue to live in our old sinful habits we had before we were saved, we’ll continue living like and acting like the our old self, failing to experience the benefits of living by the Spirit. The questions to consider are what fruits of the Holy Spirit have you experienced in your life so far? Are there any that you have not yet experienced?
On January 15th 2009, I repented of my old self and was baptized into new life in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the presence of my family and Fort Drum PWOC sisters. Today, I continue to thank God for the amazing gift of the Holy Spirit at work within me. If you are struggling to experience the benefits of living by the Holy Spirit, I encourage you to ask God to intervene in your life. Don’t allow the enemy to steal your peace, joy and hope.
My prayer mirrors that of Paul’s “May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace as we trust in Him, so that we may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Lord Jesus, thank you for the blessings and benefits that are ours through our faith in you. Please strengthen us to live by your laws and crush Satan under our feet. Please fill us with joy and peace in the Holy Spirit so that we overflow with hope and stand strong in our faith. I trust in you. I praise you and thank you. May we truly say through the power of your Holy Spirit “New Year, New Us, Out with the old in with the New” for your glory.
In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
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