How The Holy Spirit Helps Us Make The Most Of Every Situation

1. The Holy Spirit helps us correctly adapt our perceptions in all situations to suit God’s greater purposes. Paul wrote, "Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people). Making the very most of the time (buying up each opportunity), because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be vague and thoughtless and foolish, but understanding and firmly grasping what the will of the Lord is." (Eph. 5:15-17) Ask the Lord to help you to make the most out of every situation by understanding and accepting the will of God.

2. The Holy Spirit is able to help you learn how to see criticisms as helpful sandpaper that can refine you more into a Christ-like person. James wrote, "Do not resent trials as enemies, but welcome them as friends. Be assured that the trial and proving of your faith brings out greater perseverance, steadfastness and patience. Let endurance play its full part in perfecting you into a Christlike person who lacks nothing." (James 1:2-4) Ask God to prepare your mind, will and emotions for correct responses to criticisms.

3. The Holy Spirit is able to help you be prepared to use rejection as an opportunity to find a silver lining behind every dark cloudy situation. Ask the Lord to help you refuse to become angry, resentful and irritated when you or your ideas are rejected. Trust the Lord to help you see the new open doors that always result from God allowing other gateways to close.

4. The Holy Spirit is able to help you to overcome any feeling of frustration by using the irritation to prepare you for something bigger and better. Ask the Lord to use your frustrating experiences to catalyze your mind, will and emotions to become a wiser person who knows how to springboard into bigger and better relationships and ministries. Trust the Lord to give you the serenity to accept the things you cannot change, the courage to change the things you can and the wisdom to know when to move on to better things

5. The Holy Spirit is able to help you resist the temptation to become discouraged by leading you to better opportunities where you can help turn your attention to people who really need you. Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick." (Matt. 9:12) Ask the Lord to help you refuse to become discouraged. Trust the Lord for better opportunities where you can pour your energies. Look to God for where you can have the greatest impact for Christ’s kingdom and righteousness.

6. The Holy Spirit is able to help you overcome a tendency to complain about what you do not have by focusing your attention on all the blessings you enjoy in Christ. Ask the Lord to help you to follow the advice of a songwriter who wrote, "When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed. When you are discourage, thinking all is lost. Count your MANY BLESSINGS, name them one by one. And it will surprise you what the Lord has done."

7. The Holy Spirit is able to help you overcome your tendency to worry about finances, relationships or employment by reminding you of Christ’s promises. Jesus said, "He who is faithful in little things, will be faithful also in much." (Luke 16:10) Thank the Lord in advance for the way He will promote you after you have stayed obedient in seemingly insignificant ways. Trust God to promote you to greater responsibilities after you have proven your reliability in smaller opportunities.

8. The Holy Spirit is able to help you correct some of your mis-beliefs as a result of Job like experiences. After experiencing terrible adversity, Job wrote the summary of what he had learned in Job 42:1,2 which says, "Lord, NOW, I know you can do all things and that no purpose of YOURS can be thwarted." Ask the Lord to use every Job like experience to correct your mis-beliefs so that you can see things more from God’s perfect perspective.

9. The Holy Spirit is able to help you overcome any tendency to let fear dictate your thinking by teaching how to live more by faith and less by sight. Ask the Lord to teach you greater reliance, courage and determination as a result of living out the truth that says, "We are more than conquerors through Him who loves us. God gives us a surpassing victory through Him who loved us." (Romans 8:37- Amplified)

10. The Holy Spirit is able to help us use every adversity to show us how to mature in ALL aspects of life through Christ. We all can grow more emotionally, socially, mentally, and spiritually if we are willing to let God do what is necessary to make us more like Christ. Ask God to help you look for ways that you can grow in Christ because of each situation, difficulty, or disappointment.