We focus a lot in our religion on growing closer to Heavenly Father and the Savior. We are encouraged to read our scriptures and pray, to learn about Jesus Christ by examining His life, and to follow His example in all things. Along the way, we are blessed with greater increments of the feelings of peace that come from the Holy Ghost, and it’s a wonderful combination. But today, I would like to take another approach, that of coming to know the Holy Ghost more personally.
First, let’s examine what we know about the Holy Ghost. We know that He works in close partnership with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We know that His role in the Godhead is to testify of the existence and reality of the other two, to comfort us when we are troubled, and to bear witness of the truthfulness of the Gospel. In all things, He is a quiet supporter, never interjecting Himself or His own personality into the mix, but rather, choosing to glorify God and His Son.
We also know that He cannot abide contention. He must leave when we become hateful or want to exact revenge. He cannot stay where crude words are being used or immoral actions are taking place. These things offend Him because they offend God.
Because we have been given the gift of the Holy Ghost, we can repent and invite Him back into our lives. We were promised when we were given the gift, and again each week as we partake of the sacrament, that we might always have the Spirit to be with us. How do we do this?
First, we need to show proper respect for His role. His is the presence we feel when we are sad or scared, and suddenly feel warm and safe. He is the One who speaks to our hearts when we read the scriptures and know they are true. He is the warm blanket that shields us from the wind. We should be utterly, completely grateful for His influence in our lives.
Second, as we show proper respect, we will understand that we must avoid those things which offend Him. We want to feel comforted, we want to feel confident. If we want those feelings to remain, we must not chase them away. We need to stay away from places He can’t go. We need to avoid anger, avoid using hurtful words, and avoid music and media that glorify sin.
Third, we need to invite Him to be with us. He is ours by virtue of our confirmation, but as we pray and ask that the Spirit might be with us, we are showing that we honor and appreciate the gift, that we don’t just take it for granted but that we are aware of the privilege it is. Along with our invitation comes the humility we need to listen to His promptings and heed them when they come.
It is my prayer that all of us might come to know the workings of the Holy Ghost and to truly appreciate all that He does for us.
Related Blogs:
A Personal Relationship with Heavenly Father
A Personal Relationship with Jesus Christ