Read
… learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.
Isaiah 1:17
Reflect
Roald Amundsen is one of the greatest adventurers of all time. In 1911, he became the first person to reach the South Pole, and 15 years later he flew over the North Pole aboard the airship Norge, becoming one of the first people documented to have reached both of the Earth’s poles.
Traveling to the planet’s extreme ends is dangerous even today, but 100 years ago it was downright treacherous. There is an old story — probably more illustration than documented history — that Amundsen once carried a homing pigeon on a polar expedition. According to the story, when the mission was successful, the bird was released to carry the good news home.
Whether or not the story happened exactly that way, the picture is a beautiful one.
Jesus did not remain physically with His disciples. Instead, just as He promised, He sent the Holy Spirit — the Helper — to dwell within His people. He told His disciples, “…it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:7)
The Holy Spirit is confusing to a lot of people, and that’s understandable. When I was a child, I remember Him being called the Holy Ghost, and that was really confusing to me. All of the ghosts I had seen were in cartoons and movies, and they were either scary or silly.
When I got older, I realized that the Holy Spirit isn’t an impersonal force or some kind of spiritual ghost. He is God, the third Person of the Trinity, dwelling within His people. And He is our power for living the Christian life.
So many people get caught up in the “gifts of the Spirit,” and those gifts are very real.
“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.” (1 Corinthians 12:4-6)
But that word, gift, can sometimes confuse us. Paul gives us another helpful word just one verse later:
“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (1 Corinthians 12:7)
A manifestation is something that makes an unseen reality visible. The Spirit lives within us, but His presence should eventually become visible through the way we live.
And that’s where Isaiah’s words come back into the picture.
The Holy Spirit isn’t given to us simply so that we can have extraordinary spiritual experiences. He changes what we do. We learn to do good. We seek justice. We correct oppression. We care for people who cannot defend themselves. We serve, encourage, teach, give, comfort and love.
The manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
In other words, when we unwrap the gift, somebody besides us ought to benefit from what we find inside. And ultimately, the greatest gift isn’t any particular ability the Spirit gives us. The greatest gift is the Spirit Himself.
Today, there is a gift waiting for you from Jesus: the Holy Spirit Himself. If you belong to Christ, don’t leave that gift sitting unopened. Let Him fill you, change you and work through you. Because what He places inside us was never intended to stay inside us.
Unwrap the gift. The wonders inside are life-changing.
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Reflection copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt and Charles Fulton.
