As we try to help people change their lifestyles, we often face the question: where do we find the power for true and lasting change? The answer to this question is crucial for every person seeking to change their lifestyles. Many have a lifelong history of poor health habits and inherited and cultivated tendencies that will cause failure in the effort to change if not directed to a source of strength adequate to the job. For those of us committed to the ministry of combining physical healing with spiritual restoration, we want to be able to direct people to a source of power effective enough for a long-lasting change. The answer is not found in human wisdom or effort alone but in a source beyond our human limitations: the divine power of the Holy Spirit.
As Jesus Christ offered Himself as the ultimate sacrifice, and just before his ascension back to His Father, He left His disciples with a promise—a promise of a gift so profound and essential that it would unlock the boundless resources of His grace. In John 14:16-17, He said, “I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth.” This promise was not just for the early disciples but for all believers across time. It was a promise of the Holy Spirit, who would come to empower, guide, and transform us.
The Holy Spirit is the force behind the mighty work of God in the world. When we surrender ourselves to His control, God can work through us in ways that are beyond our natural capabilities. From the Day of Pentecost to the present, the Holy Spirit has been the agent of change, empowering believers to stand firm against the forces of evil and to be beacons of light in a dark world.
This divine power is not limited by time or circumstance. The Holy Spirit was given to the early church to carry forward the mission of Christ, and He is available to us today in the same measure. The problem is not with the availability of this power but with our desire and willingness to receive it. Too often, we fail to appreciate the promise of the Holy Spirit, and as a result, we experience spiritual drought, darkness, and decline. The power necessary for growth and change is lacking when we neglect the Holy Spirit.
Why, then, do we not hunger and thirst for the Holy Spirit? Why do we not talk about Him, pray for Him, and preach concerning Him? The Lord is more willing to give the Holy Spirit to those who serve Him than parents are to give good gifts to their children. This power is the key to overcoming personally and fulfilling our mission corporately. It is the means by which we receive the strength and wisdom to plan, execute, and carry out our work effectively.
Christ Himself demonstrated the importance of relying on the Holy Spirit. Though He was the Son of God, He constantly sought strength and guidance through prayer and communion with His Father. This is an example for us to follow. By engaging in earnest, persevering prayer, we open ourselves to the Holy Spirit’s influence. This leads to a deeper dependence on God and a greater consecration to His work.
This principle is vital for those of us involved in combining medicine and ministry. Every day, we ourselves must kneel before the Lord and renew our vows of service. We should ask for the presence of the Holy Spirit. Only then will we understand how to direct others seeking long-term change. If we ever hope to accomplish the work the Lord has left to us, we must recognize it is this divine presence that will empower us to be “laborers together with God.” Only the Holy Spirit will help our patients “To Will and To Do His Good Pleasure.” Only the Holy Spirit will bring about the healing and transformation we need, and our patients need.
In conclusion, the power for change does not come from us but from the Holy Spirit. He is the source of all spiritual strength, wisdom, and guidance. As we unite medicine and ministry, let us continually seek this power and seek to direct others to this same source of power, knowing that with the Holy Spirit, all things are possible.
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