“Do not worry about how or what your defense will be or about what you are to say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.” // Luke 12:11-12
“I just don’t know what to say to her,” said the young man standing in front of me. We were at a conference chatting after a talk and he shared that his best friend had recently been hospitalized due to her mental health challenges.
“I don’t know how to encourage her. I feel like I’m just fumbling around,” he continued, looking disheartened. I told him to tuck Luke 12:11-12 deep into his heart:“[Do not worry] about what you are to say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.” Relying on this verse in difficult conversations has changed my life.
How often do you approach a hard conversation, arrive at a day when you know a friend needs to hear the truth, or anticipate a moment when you need to use words to set up a firm boundary with someone—and you have no idea what to say or how to say it? This verse of Scripture can be a buoy in those moments of our lives.
I have had countless conversations with women who pour their hearts out to me, desperately seeking encouragement, support, and direction, and I have not had a clue how to respond in some instances. So I have prayed fervently in my heart, Come, Holy Spirit. Teach me what to say in this moment.
When we do this, we lean into the power of the Holy Spirit. We consciously choose to rely on Him rather than ourselves to encourage and enliven hearts.
Perhaps you are facing a break-up or tough conversation with the person you’re dating. Perhaps there will be challenging family conversations leading up to the holidays. Maybe it is a conversation you need to have with one of your children, or a moment when you are certain God has placed you in another person’s path so they can hear the truth from your mouth.
Do not depend on yourself to find the words—ask the Holy Spirit to give them to you. You may be incredibly surprised at the words you find to speak.
Lean into the power of the Holy Spirit. // @emwilssClick to tweet
Emily Wilson Hussem planned her whole life to become a sports reporter but turned out to be a Catholic writer at the hand of God. The heart of her ministry is offering encouragement to women in living a counter-cultural life of joy. She is the author of two children's books, God’s Glorious Girl and God’s Brave Boy and Awaken My Heart, a devotional for women of all ages. Find out more about her here.
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