Never Alone: Parenting in the Power of the Holy SpiritSample

Day Four: “He Makes Much of Jesus”

Just as the Holy Spirit’s goal is to put the spotlight on Jesus, it’s the Holy Spirit in us that makes us want to take the spotlight off ourselves and shine it on Jesus.

I think we mamas are good at feeling like we have to be our child’s savior and holy spirit. We put so much pressure on ourselves to be who only Jesus can be for our kids and to do what only the Spirit can do in their lives. But the Holy Spirit in us empowers us to turn the spotlight on Jesus, the only One who will never fail them and will always be faithful to uphold His promises to them.

The Holy Spirit’s primary purpose is to reveal the glory of Jesus through you, but don’t let the devil fool you into thinking this can only happen through your “perfect parenting” or “good days.”

We can ask the Holy Spirit to make our lives point to Jesus’ perfection when our kids take the brunt of our imperfection, and we can believe He will do it. We can call on the Holy Spirit to make our lives testify to the selfless love of Jesus when our kids encounter our selfishness, and we can believe He will do it. This is what He delights to do.

Pause and reflect on where you want to ask the Holy Spirit to shine the spotlight on Jesus through your weaknesses and shortcomings.

Jesus taught His disciples this principle in John 15:26-27. Read those verses now.

Jesus affirmed that the ultimate aim of the Holy Spirit is to point people to Him.

To testify to who He is and what He accomplished. And then He affirmed how we are to partner with Him in that work: We must testify about Him.

We no longer have to be weighed down by the reality of our weakness or ashamed of the ways in which we fall short at being our child’s savior. We were never meant to play that role, and we were never meant to receive that glory. The glory belongs to Him alone.

Let’s ask the Holy Spirit together to make His aim our aim. Let’s ask Him to lead us into deeper dependency on and intimacy with Jesus. And then let’s thank Him again for this glorious reality: The assurance we have in Jesus and the affection we feel for Jesus is produced by the Holy Spirit. Is there any better gift?

For more of this study by author Jeannie Cunnion, visit lifeway.com/neveralone.