Winning Life Coached by the Holy Spirit: Post-Season Victory — Conforming to Christ
The Holy Spirit’s primary focus when we allow Him in is to sanctify us, convicting us of sin and giving us the strength to change. As Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:18 : And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
This is not easy. It often requires great discipline and self-sacrifice. Paul acknowledges the difficulty in Romans 12:1–2:
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God — this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Before we can perfect all the plays in our “love walk,” we have to know who we are as a player on the team quarterbacked by Christ Jesus and know that He and His Word are the primary source of our identity. Our jobs don’t matter, our socioeconomic status doesn’t matter, our astrological sign doesn’t matter and is sinful.
We must work hard to have a “seek and destroy” attitude toward sin. Sin must almost be looked at as a fumble at key point when the team is down and needs that game-winning reception. We must ask the Holy Spirit to convict us of areas of sin in our lives. We must repent and purpose in our heart to turn completely away from sin toward our Heavenly Father, and we must seek God’s grace through repentance and conversion. This conversion of heart should affect our actions and speech, and it may affect our emotions, thoughts, and political views. Every area of life needs to be viewed through the prism of the truth we find in God’s Word.
We also need to acquire the fruit of the Spirit as our “seek and destroy” mission progresses. We should have more love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
These fruits should pour out of our lives and affect our very actions. Others should see a change in us. In addition to increasing the fruit in our lives, we need to use the charisms given us by the Holy Spirit to continue the game play of the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19–20:
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
We can make disciples through living an authentic love walk and participating in meaningful acts of service. We can teach the laws of Christ in the way we live our lives and how we treat others. The various gifts/charisms help to sanctify us, make us want God’s will, and enable us to serve others.
We also need to take a hard look at the way we play the game of our lives. We must examine ourselves so we know what our charisms,natural talents, and hard-earned skills are and then pray for the wisdom to know how God intends to use them in service to Him, His people, and those who will eventually give themselves to Him. If we are unsure how the charisms should operate in the real world, we can explore the lives of the saints. They had a very close relationship with God and allowed Him to lead them to His will for them. We should also seek to understand the various charisms and how they can be used in a faith community for building the Body of Christ.
We would be remiss if we did not cover the role of trials and challenges in our faith. Two different New
Testament writers addressed this.
In James 1:2–5, we can read what James the Apostle thought of trials:
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
In Romans 8:28 , Paul writes, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Both of these writers present trials and challenges as opportunities for growth and maturity. Some of the great saints shared the same view.
St. Ignatius of Antioch, in facing martyrdom in the Roman arena, wrote the following:
“I am writing to all the Churches and I enjoin all, that I am dying willingly for God’s sake, if only you do not prevent it. I beg you, do not do me an untimely kindness. Allow me to be eaten by the beasts, which are my way of reaching to God. I am God’s wheat, and I am to be ground by the teeth of wild beasts, so that I may become the pure bread of Christ.”
Sometimes, these difficulties are so great that we are forced to trust God. St. Alphonse Liguori wrote, “He who trusts himself is lost. He who trusts God can do all things.”
When we have great difficulties and are living in community, we can turn to the more spiritually mature within the community for prayer and counsel.
