Commissioned: Powered Up: Living With the Holy SpiritSample

The Power to be Witnesses

The very last words Jesus spoke on earth are recorded by Luke in chapter one of the Acts of the Apostles. Jesus told his disciples two things: (1) they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came on them, and (2) they would be his witnesses to the ends of the earth. Success in telling others about Jesus is always dependent on the power of the Holy Spirit. Whether in our Jerusalem (with those closest to us), our Judea (with those who are culturally like us), our Samaria (with those on the margins of our community), or the ends of the earth (with those in other cultures)—it is only in the power of the Holy Spirit that we can be effective witnesses.

The foundation of being His witness is living in the power of the resurrection, showing by our lives that God is real. Jesus used the metaphor of a vine to teach us that the only way we can bear good fruit is by abiding in Him. The contrast is complete: if we abide in Jesus through the Holy Spirit we will necessarily bear good fruit; if we do not abide in Him, we can do nothing. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that changes our hearts and enables us to change our habits so that our lives give glory to God.

The Holy Spirit also helps us when we tell others about Jesus. Jesus said that even in the most difficult of settings, we do not need to worry about what we will say. The Holy Spirit can give us the words we need right “at that moment,” because it is the Holy Spirit who speaks through us. This does not mean that we should never prepare ahead of what we will say. But it does mean that we should always be listening with two ears—one ear listening to the people with whom we are speaking so that we understand them, and one ear listening to the Spirit of God as He brings to our minds the word of God.

We read in the Acts of the Apostles how the Holy Spirit transformed Jesus’s disciples from a timid group huddling in prayer to bold witnesses to Jesus Christ. It is the Holy Spirit who makes all the difference in our lives, giving us the same boldness to identify as Jesus’s disciples and to tell others about Him.

Stop, think and pray:

Let’s reflect on our own lives: When have we experienced the Holy Spirit’s power? Has He helped us to overcome sin? Has He given us the desire to do God’s will? Has He given us love for others? Has He given us words to speak at the moment we needed them? Let’s thank Him for His work in and through us.

Let’s recommit ourselves to the Holy Spirit with this prayer:

“Oh, Holy Spirit, soul of my soul, I adore you! Enlighten me, guide me, strengthen me, console me. Tell me what I must do, give me your orders. I promise that I will submit to all you desire of me and I will accept all that you will allow to happen to me. Only let me know your will. Amen.”

Cardinal Mercier