The Holy Spirit will teach you

The Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say. 

This can be a tough promise to trust.   Of course we believe that God is in charge.   It seems obvious that the Holy Spirit can give us the right things to say in difficult situations.   But trusting God “at that moment” makes it seem as if we shouldn’t prepare ahead of time for conversations.   But who wants to go into any situation unprepared?

Let’s face it, most of us “prepare” by worrying.   We may even be highly skilled at worrying. It doesn’t take much to spin out scenarios of things that could go wrong.   But instead of helping us be ready for whatever may happen, this kind of preparation can trap us in paralyzing fear.

Jesus speaks simply and directly to those fears.   “Do not worry about . . . what you are to say” (Luke 12:11).   In the moment of need, the Holy Spirit will inspire you and use your words to make a difference.

If you are having a hard time imagining how this could happen, take a moment to reflect on your past experiences.   You’ve probably felt the Holy Spirit’s inspiration even if you didn’t realize it at the time.

For instance, you know you should reach out to a friend who has been going through a difficult time, but you have no wisdom to share.   You call anyway, and even though you doubt that you have said anything special, she tells you that your call was deeply comforting.

Or a coworker asks why you say grace before eating your lunch.   You hesitate but answer simply, and that simple answer opens the door to a conversation about faith.

Or you’re tempted to react angrily to a child’s misbehavior, but you catch yourself and breathe a prayer.   You see your child in a different light, and that helps you understand how to help him.

All of these are signs of the Holy Spirit doing exactly what Jesus promised.   So the next time you begin to worry about a conversation or how to deal with a problem, remember those signs!   Trust Jesus to stay faithful.   He’s done it in the past, and he won’t stop now.   The more you recognize the Holy Spirit moving you to speak—and then you do speak—the easier it will be next time.

Word Among Us