“It Is For Your Good…”
By Susan Klein
“But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away.
Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send
him to you.”
John 16:7 (NIV)
How many times have we heard the
words, or even spoken them ourselves: “It’s for your own good?” As a mom, I
know I’ve conveyed this message to my children on more than one occasion.
Usually, it was preceded by a “but why, Mom?” because they didn’t understand or
like my decision. I had to ask them to just trust that I had their best
interest at heart. Later, they usually saw the fruit of my decision.
In the above verse, Jesus is trying
to explain to His disciples that He will soon be leaving them, and they don’t
understand why. After all, His ministry has only been up and going for a few
years and there are still so many people who need to know Him and benefit from
His amazing teaching. They think it might be the wrong decision on His part - -
and like children - - start to question His decision. He responds as
any loving parent would. He tells them that it is for their own good. He even
goes beyond that to tell them why it is for their good. Because He is sending
the Holy Spirit, to dwell in them, to counsel them in all truth, to convict the
world, and to speak the Father’s words directly to them. I imagine Him
passionately saying something like, “You guys, it’s going to be so great! You
will get to have all of me, all the time, indwelling each and every one of you!
I know you don’t get it now, but just trust me in this, okay?!!”
How often we continue to respond,
“If only Jesus was still here on earth with us, life would be so much easier!”
Lest we forget, He is here! His Spirit is in each one of His believers. We have
access to Him 24/7! In John 14:23 Jesus says if anyone loves Him, He
and the Father will “make our home” with them. He’s here, at home, in our
hearts.
Let’s not take lightly this precious
gift from our Lord. If you aren’t sensing His Spirit’s working in your life,
seek Him in prayer. We need to constantly empty ourselves of sins and
distractions so we can be filled with Him.
Seriously, it’s for our good.
GOING
DEEPER:
1. Ask God to help you identify the
things that might be “hindering” the Holy Spirit’s power from being evident in
your life.
2. Try making it a part of your prayer life to ask for His filling.
FURTHER
READING:
Susan
is married to Mark, and has two adult children. She enjoys teaching Bible
studies, writing, and tutoring with the Literacy Council. She is a member of
the Peace Team at Oakwood and also co-leads an on-site small group.
