One Called Alongside

Before Jesus left His disciples and returned to heaven, He promised that He would send them a “Counselor” or helper, the Holy Spirit. The word helper in the Greek means, “one called alongside.” He stands beside us to help us. That’s why we, as Christians, fight no battles and face no problems alone.

Let me illustrate this with a story about Jackie Robinson. He was the first black man to play major league baseball. Breaking the color barrier, he faced jeering crowds in every stadium. While playing one day in his home stadium of Brooklyn, he committed an error. The fans began to ridicule him. He stood at second base, humiliated, while the fans jeered. Then, shortstop Pee Wee Reese came over and stood next to him. He put his arm around Jackie and faced the crowd. The fans grew quiet. Robinson later said that arm around his shoulder saved his career. Reese said, “If I were breaking into a black league, I’d want someone to be a friend to me.”

How many times has the Holy Spirit done just that for us? We felt alone, discouraged, depressed, a failure, ready to quit—but then we sensed His comforting presence. Or maybe He gave us the support we needed through a Christian friend. The bottom line is that we can be sure that the Holy Spirit is always standing alongside, ready and able to help.