In John 14-16, Jesus taught His disciples about the Holy Spirit. The Greek word paracletos is a difficult word to translate into English. It has been variously translated as helper, comforter, counselor, advocate, intercessor, strengthener, standby, and friend. The real meaning of paracletos often eludes us.
Over the next few blogs, I am going to discuss the Holy Spirit’s role in the life of the believer. I’m going to use the analogy of the Holy Spirit as that of a personal trainer. While this concept is not literally what paracletos was referring to (there weren’t many personal trainers in the First Century!), I believe that it captures the essence of who the Holy Spirit is and what He does.
He has a customized plan for each person. People join gyms and health clubs for different reasons. Some people want to lose weight, others want to get bigger and stronger. Still other people are looking to just stay healthy while others are training for a specific sport.
A good personal trainer understands that each of his client’s needs are different and they design a customized plan to help each person reach their goals. The Holy Spirit does the same thing. He does not treat any two of us the same way. He has a customized plan for each for each of our lives and is guiding us to achieve that plan.
“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ returns.” (Phil. 1:6)
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