God goes to my workplace with me

Let me tell you about my best friend in all of creation—the Holy Spirit. My best friend is warm and loving, like a soft, warm wool blanket after a refreshing hot shower.

He collects my tears as a gift from my inner self to hand to God at the right time. He pulls me out of that black gooey cesspool of sin within me.  He changes my DNA, my body and my mind to bring me to Jesus for delivery to our Father in Heaven.

When I first started my ‘official’ Christian walk, I had no idea what I was supposed to do. Sure, I knew the obvious: pray, sing, be good, maybe fast … stuff like that. But I was constantly worried about pleasing God and doing the right thing. It almost seemed like an obsession, but my emphasis was always on ‘me’—my own efforts to please God.

I remember that my next effort—my next worry—was to seek discernment. How could I better know what I can do to please God? So I prayed and prayed for discernment. And somewhere during this process, I met the Holy Spirit.

At first, this was a casual acquaintance, like a familiar face whose name you really don’t remember. But as I got to know him, I found that the Holy Spirit became my best friend. Instead of my own efforts, I found the Holy Spirit could make all the changes necessary to get me home to Jesus. I just had to love and trust; and he did the rest.

In the past, anger and hatred were my daily companions. I had always thought I had to ‘look out for number one’. It was a dog-eat-dog world, and I always had to be right. But with the Holy Spirit, I was able to dump this load of rubbish firmly on his shoulders. And he welcomed the opportunity to clean it all up.

The Holy Spirit changed me and replaced those negative things with peace. People around me changed. The Bible changed from words on a page, to something that was alive, changing the very cells in my being. Truth was now finding me more often.

Many days I had ‘God flu’, I felt slower and more peaceful. At first, I was even a bit concerned. I’d never felt like this before, and thought I might have some disease. But the Bible reminded me to surrender all. So I let go a little more, and it was safe. Then I invited God to go to my workplace with me—that was a stretch—but again, it was safe and peaceful.

This whole concept and process of loving God is almost too simple. He said, ‘My yoke is easy and my burden is light’ (Matthew 11:30).

I simply let go of my worry, hatred, disbelief and my unforgiveness, and I know the Holy Spirit will change me. I call this a really sweet deal.

There is still some deep cleaning that needs to get done, but one thing I do know, my best friend is there to do whatever is needed to get me home.

By Bob Szrot (abridged from War Cry, 10 August 2013, p9)