Good morning:
Have you ever hired, or thought of hiring, a life coach? Their purpose is to help a client with various areas of their lives, such as career advancement, dealing with stress, developing positive habits, and nurturing relationships, just to name a few. It could be time and money well spent. None of us has all the answers. All of us can benefit from learning and understanding aspects of life better. But it’s important to choose a coach carefully. The wrong one could do more harm than good. Their advice might make matters worse instead of improve them.
Did you know that you already have access to the top life coach in the world? The night before his crucifixion Jesus told the disciples, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth” (Jn. 14:16-17). The Greek word for “Helper” means literally, “one called to the side,” one who teaches, advises, and counsels another. That is the work of the Holy Spirit. He comes in the Word to be our life coach in teaching us about our guilt and the eternal death we deserve because of sin. But above all, the Spirit directs us to Jesus as the Savior who took our guilt upon himself and made peace between us and God by dying in our place.
No matter what the situation, the Spirit is there with just the right counsel. When you’re tripped up by sin, and the guilt weighs heavily on your conscience, listen to the Spirit’s counsel: “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn. 1:8). Feeling frightened or intimidated? The divine life coach is there to remind you of what Jesus says: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me….I am the way and the truth and the life” (Jn. 14:1,6). When you just don’t know what to pray, your Coach steps in on your behalf. “The Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans” (Rom. 8:26).
We don’t have all the answers to the important questions of life. We can’t find our own way out of the mess our sins have gotten us into. By nature we are hopelessly lost and can only make matters worse. There are so many things we don’t understand. But what we do have is a loving life coach who brings us to Jesus, tells us what he has done for us, and who dwells within us to give us the faith to say, “Jesus is my Lord!” The top life coach in the world is as close as the Bible. What can he help you with today? Listen to his every word!
Yours in Christ,
Pastor
Our service tomorrow begins at 9 a.m. Sunday school and adult Bible class follow at 10:15. The Bible class will be looking at how the Lord chooses the most unqualified and unlikely people to serve him.
