As followers of Jesus, who have received the Holy Spirit, we have the advantage. Jesus states, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. 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 depart, I will send Him to you.” John 16:7 (NKJ)(emphasis added). The Spirit of the living God, the Holy Spirit, is our helper and he gives us the advantage, in every area of life.

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines advantage as superiority of position or condition, it also states that advantage is a factor or circumstance of benefit to its possessor.

The Holy Spirit is of benefit to us, the possessors, because He gives us the advantage.

There are many aspects of life where we may desire to have an advantage whether in an actual competition or in pursuing a goal. There is no doubt, advantages are helpful. In the academic arena, students may seek to compare class notes and speculate, as to what may be on the exam, as they are seeking an advantage in the course. In the professional world, some desire to be one step ahead of the competition when vying for a promotion or for a new contract.

Desiring to have a competitive edge is fine; however, as Christians, it is important to remember that we neither compete nor conduct life as those of the world.  To obtain the advantage in business, school, or life, we do not have to cheat or do anything that would compromise our morals and values. So, the question arises, can a Christian have a competitive edge and still maintain their Christian values. YES, because we have the Holy Spirit!

The Holy Spirit is our helper, counselor, and guide; he comes along side of us to show us the way. His assistance is not limited to spiritual matters; meaning, He does not only help in the study of the Word of God. He comes to give you the advantage when you are studying for an exam, when you have a work problem that you cannot figure out or even a family issue that you do not know how to address. No matter the situation, the Holy Spirit comes to give you the advantage.

I have two specific examples of when I relied on the Holy Spirit to give me the advantage.

The Advantage in School

The first account occurred when I was preparing to take the Florida Bar examination, to become a licensed attorney. All throughout law school, when preparing for exams I would pray and ask the Holy Spirit how I should study. I would ask for detailed guidance such as what topics I should focus on, and I would ask Him to lead me to study what would be on the exam. I had such childlike faith to believe that since He knows all things, surely, He knew what would be on the exam and He could lead me in my studies.  My prayer would be, “Holy Spirit, you know all things and it is Your job to lead me into all truth. Please lead me and show me what I should study.”

When I took the bar exam it had roughly 14 topics that I was required to learn. No pressure, right? Preparing for this exam was no different than law school, I asked the Holy Spirit to lead me and guide me on how to study and I asked Him for strategy in what to study.

One day, as I was praying, amid all my studies, the Holy Spirit instructed me to place an emphasis on a particular subject. It was a subject that up until that point in my preparation I had ignored. I knew this was the Holy Spirit’s leading because I did not like the topic that I was being told to study. Therefore, I knew, by faith, that He was leading me to study that specific area. I studied that area until I knew it very well.

By the time exam day came I was so confident in the Holy Spirit’s guidance that immediately when it was time to start the exam, I opened the test booklet and I hurriedly flipped the pages looking for that specific topic, I was confident that, of the three essays, one of the essays was going to be the topic the Holy Spirit led me to prepare for. At last, there it was, the essay topic of products liability was there, it was the last essay question. I was so excited, I was shouting and praising on the inside, He did not lead me astray, but He led into the truth.

At the end of the exam when we were all walking out of the examination room there were many people scratching their heads asking, “where did that topic of products liability come from; who would have thought that topic would have been on the exam?” But I had a huge smile on my face because I was not caught by surprised. The Holy Spirit gave me the advantage. By the grace of God, I passed that exam the first time.

The Advantage in my Profession

The second example of the Holy Spirit helping me and giving me the advantage occurred in my career, as an attorney. As I was preparing for a major case, I asked the Holy Spirit to show me how to prepare for the case. This was a major case not just because of the issue that was before the court, but it was also major because I was preparing to argue before a high court that I had never argued in front of before. No pressure, right?

As I prepared for oral argument, that is when the judges request to hear from the attorneys because they have questions or concerns they want the attorneys to answer. I needed to know what concerned the judges. After much prayer and asking the Holy Spirit to guide me in my argument, He laid out the argument for me. Very clearly, I heard that I was to argue points 1, 2, and 3. I structured my argument as directed by the Holy Spirit.

On the day of oral argument, as I was presenting my argument to the court, I was not met with opposition from the court; it was as if I presented exactly what they needed to hear to decide the case. In fact, I could tell that one of the judges sided with me because he started arguing the very notes that I had against opposing counsel and he took my argument right out of my mouth. Again, I was shouting and praising on the inside. The Holy Spirit gave me the advantage, once again, and I won that case.

I share these testimonies to encourage you, that the next time you face any circumstance or set out to pursue any goal, know that through the Holy Spirit you have the advantage. As Christian professionals, I hope that we take God out of the box and seek the Holy Spirit’s help in our academics, work, and everyday lives. The Holy Spirit is our advantage; God has given us the advantage so we can give Him the glory.

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