Dove Chocolate & The Comforter – a Look at the Holy Spirit

Who loves FaceBook Memories? I love when I get the notifications for those everyday. It’s sometimes hilarious, sad or intriguing to see what I posted in the past and how things in my life are either different or the same now. Well, today I opened up the notification and started scrolling through my memories to see this…

Ha! I’m such a nerd! Then, I opened up to read the comments and saw that I had mentioned to a friend that I had planned on posting a blog about how to identify the real comforter. So, seven years later, friends. Here we go!

Many of us go to chocolate, t.v., food, drugs and alcohol, sex, social media or any myriad of other things for comfort when only one thing, or one person rather, is needed. John 14:26 in the Amplified Bible says:

But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you.

There are definitely more than these three ways to identify the real comforter in our lives, but for today, these are three ways you’ll know and recognize Him:

• He’ll always point to or remind you of God’s truth
• You’ll see fruit in your life
• You’ll always feel you have a choice

The Holy Spirit Shines Jesus

The Holy Spirit will always point to the love and light of Jesus. The Holy Spirit will always remind you of the truth of Jesus (John 14:26). This is real comfort! Jesus is the way the truth and the life (John 14:6)! Elsewhere in the Bible we read that the truth will set us free (John 8:32)! What can possibly be more comforting than that?! Does chocolate, sex outside of marriage or social media point you to that truth? Nope! That’s why even though they may give the appearance of comfort for a little while, it’s shallow and short lived. This is how addictions begin. The fix doesn’t last long enough and you need more and fast.

The Holy Spirit Produces Fruit in Your Life

Galatians 5:22 says the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If you do not see these manifested in your life, then it’s a real solid indicator that whatever you have “comforting you” is not the Holy Spirit.

If you’re experiencing actions, thoughts and attitudes in your life more along the lines of anger, sadness, anxiety, impatience, rudeness, meanness, hopelessness and you always feel out of control, then consider getting down to the root of what could be feeding all of that and cut it out straight away. And you must depend on the Holy Spirit to help you (Romans 8:13; Galatians 5:16-17).

The Holy Spirit is Not Controlling

Remember as stated above that the Holy Spirit is a Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) No where does it say He is a dictator, manipulator, controller or will wielder. His fruit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. He is not malicious or crazy.

Fake sources of comfort make us feel we have no choice in anything. I have to eat this chocolate or food because it’ll make me feel better. I have to have sex to feel loved. I need to drink to numb the pain. Social media is where my “real” friends are. You believe the lie so you keep going back to those false comforters.

The Holy Spirit will never make you choose Him and Jesus.  Rather, He’s gentle with you and woos you like someone after the pure beauty of your heart (2 Peter 3:9). I John 4:8 says God is love and 1 Corinthians 13 says “love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Friends, the Holy Spirit is not controlling. He loves you and wants you to choose Him of your own volition. No body wants someone to be forced to choose or love them; neither does God and the Holy Spirit.

So, although, I often go to chocolate such as Dove when I’m feeling blue, and it’s a definite bonus to read the little things inside the wrapper, I always go to the real comforter who was manifested as a dove (Matthew 3:16) for the real thing. However, this time I might just give a little more weight to that little inspiration in the wrapper…

You’re right, Dove. It is my call…and although you’ll always be my chocolate of choice, my comfort of choice is the Holy Spirit.