The Holy Spirit is the living presence of Christ in our lives. After Jesus ascended to heaven, he continued his earthly ministry through Christians, who were led by his Spirit. Our relationship to Jesus is strengthened by spending time with him by abiding in his Spirit. The more we invest in that connection, the more we will come to know Jesus as our Lord. 

Paul described the gift of the Holy Spirit saying, “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” When the Spirit of Christ is at work in our lives, we are not governed by our fears. Instead, we have the Lord’s power at work through us. We can think the Lord’s thoughts, speak the Lord’s words, and love a person as the Lord would love them. Scripture often uses the words self-control, but we can usually translate those words biblically as “a Spirit-controlled self.” 

God loves us individually. Our relationship to God is unique and personal. That is why God chose to give each of his children his Holy Spirit. God empowers his children in different ways and for different callings. Christians have much in common, but each of us has a unique fingerprint, physically and spiritually. 

God gave us all we needed when he gave us his Spirit. We underestimate our capacities when we limit ourselves to what we can humanly accomplish. The power, love, and self-control Paul was talking about isn’t human effort; it's spiritual capacity. 

We read about the miracles, sermons, and accomplishments of our biblical heroes. It's important to remember that the same Spirit who enabled them indwells each of God’s children today. When the Lord is at work through his Spirit, we accomplish things because of his power, his love, and his ability to control our thoughts and actions.  

We are to allow the word of Christ to dwell in us richly so that the work of Christ can be accomplished through his Holy Spirit. He is the power source for each of our unique ministries.