The Holy Spirit Can Change Our Lives

We have all come across or heard this verse from the Bible many a time, be it in a Sunday sermon, daily reflection or maybe for some of us, it could be our memory verse!

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:1-2)

The beloved apostle Paul uses the word beseech. It is a pleading of sorts to the reader, a point he wants to drive in deep into our spirit man. Reading other translations, we come across different expressions of his desire:

I urge you (New International Version)

I plead with you (New Life Version)

I beg you (Easy To Read Version)

All of it have the same desire being expressed. He is making an urgent request of something of great importance! The Message version of the Bible seems to present the reader with a very poignant look at this verse. It reads, “Do not become so well adjusted to your culture, that you fit into it even without thinking”. Herein lies the key; when we fit into something even without realising it, we have conformed.

The world and culture that we live is a mould that we can so easily go into and fit it unknowingly. Just like how one would make a cake, pie, or even biscuits by placing the mixture into a mould to take a shape, that is our lives. In this day and age, how do we become careful of this? It is only through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was given to us after Jesus ascended to the Father. Our Saviour had to go, for the helper, the Holy Spirit, to come. It is only by the Holy Spirit that we can be transformed; that is to be changed from one thing to another. Romans 8:11 says, “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you”.

There are at least 6 areas that we can look at, using the acronym CHANGE, where we can transform ourselves with the Holy Spirit’s guidance and help.

#1. Confession

It is widely known that we talk to ourselves more than we talk to others daily! That being the case, what we speak shapes our attitudes, beliefs, and behaviour. When we speak negatively, we sow seeds of negativity in our lives. It will result in less than desirable actions and outcomes in our lives. When unexpected things happen to us, how do we speak to ourselves? When we make mistakes, how do we speak to ourselves? When people look down on us or treat us badly, what do we say to ourselves? This is where the Holy Spirit comes in. In 1 Cor. 14:18, Paul says, “I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.”. We see the obvious results of that in Paul’s life. He laid foundations in Christianity that we all stand upon today. His epistles teach us how to live in the Spirit. May we encourage all of us to pray in the Holy Spirit at all times, so that the confession of our mouth will be rooted in the Spirit and led by the Spirit of God.

2. Health

3 John 1:2 reads, “Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul”. Having good health is one of the desires of God for us, as was expressed by John. We all desire good health. We live in a time where health supplements abound and we are literally spoilt for choice! Choosing a healthy lifestyle is something that is godly. It allows us to be fit for work for the kingdom, like a soldier ready for battle. If our health is compromised, we will not be able to do as much for the kingdom of God. While many of us are conscious about our health, there are still some who rather not know about their health! In fact a study discovered that out of 1369 people, 58% said they had no time to go for check-ups! For some, the reasoning behind it is “if I feel well and there are no major problems, then all is good!” Fear of the unknown keeps us from knowing the truth. 2 Tim.1:7 makes it clear that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. We need the Holy Spirt to drive out fear and replace it with boldness! There is healing when we pray in the Holy Spirit. To know what to pray for, we need the doctor’s diagnosis! The Holy Spirit wants us to be healthy, because He resides in us. So when is the last time you went for a doctor’s appointment or a medical check-up? Are you prioritising your health so that you are a good example to others in the way you care for your body? An annual health assessment is a basic practice we should all have. Ask the Holy Spirit to come into this area of your life and transform it.

3. Approach towards time

All of us have been given 24 hours in a day. Once time is lost, it can’t be regained. Ephesians 5:16 exhorts us to make the best use of time because the days are evil. How we manage our time must be rooted in the Holy Spirit. Jesus started the day in prayer and fellowship with God and ended the day in the same way. Many times we read in the bible that Jesus went away to pray. Prayer helped shape Jesus’ day and prepare Him for what was to happen. As we think about how we manage our time, perhaps we can learn from Dwight Eisenhower who came up with the Eisenhower Matrix. When asked how he achieved so much in a day, he broke it down to 4 areas.

Perhaps this can be a framework for us to work with to make best use of our time. We need the counsel and guidance of the Holy Spirit to put things in each of these categories. The Holy Spirit is interested in how you manage your time. Ask Him to frame it for you! When you ask the Holy Spirit, He will lead you!

4. Negative Mind

It is said that an idle mind is the devil’s workshop! One of the things that we must all change is having a negative mindset. Isaiah 26:3 reads, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you”. How do we keep our focus on God? It is through the Holy Spirit. When He fills every aspect of your life, He will put things in its proper order. Peace can only fill a mind and life that is positive in nature. Worry and anxiety on the other hand fills a mind that is negative. Here again, when we pray daily in the Holy Spirit, we are able to sieve out the negativity and fill our mind with godliness. The Holy Spirit is a spirit of power; a tangible power. So when we pray in the spirit, we touch the power of God and transformation happens. Today, are certain areas of your life filled with worry and anxiety? Pray in the spirit, and watch it melt away. See it replaced with the promises of God!

5. Goals

All of us are encouraged to have goals in our lives. These goals help us to aim towards something and have a direction to go to. Goals help us achieve things in life. For our goals to be godly goals that give glory to God, the Holy Spirit has to be the centre of it. Any plan or goal that is void of the Holy Spirit, will only lead us astray. The enemy will use it to derail us away from the plan of God in our lives. Jesus knew he had only 3.5 years to prepare the disciples to continue the work He started. Everything He did was led by the Spirit. That is why today, the church of God still stands and is ever growing. As Christians, do we have goals in our life or are we just going with the flow? (Whatever will be will be.) With the Holy Spirit, there will be a purpose to our life. He will help us set goals that are achievable, goals that are even beyond our thinking or ability. If we surrender to him, He will do more with our lives that we can ever do! Just stand on the promise of Ephesians 3:20,” Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”

6. Eating Habits

Finally, let’s look at our dietary practices. Yes! The Holy Spirit is concerned with what we put in our bodies! Many of us have unhealthy eating habits that will in the long run affect our quality of life. The Bible says we are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor.6:19-20). This being the case, shouldn’t we have the Holy Spirit to guide our eating habits? Are we the type of people who believe whatever looks good, tastes good? Or are we eating healthy? There are many resources out there that can help us plan our dietary habits. Why not let the Holy Spirit lead us in that as well? The rate of obesity is on the rise today according to statistics. Let us then take this seriously and look at what we put into our bodies and alsofor our children and loved ones. Remember, every time you eat, you are either feeding a disease or fighting it! If we change our eating habits, our quality of life becomes better and that will give glory to God!

Let us then allow the Holy Spirit into all these areas that we will not be conformed but rather transformed!