Mark 13:11  “Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.”

I saw this coffee mug advertised this week and it made me smile. It says, “Hold on, let me overthink this.” How many of us spend more time preparing to do something and less time actually doing it?  Are we so afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing that we over-analyse or talk ourselves out of doing anything?

When we do something, we often ruminate on it over and over again. The desire to be perfect can be paralyzing. Jesus spoke to His disciples about what would happen to them as believers. He knew they would be persecuted for their faith.

But Jesus encouraged them by promising they would never be alone. When they were asked to defend their faith, the Holy Spirit would give them the right words to say in the moment they needed it.

It’s really great to know Scripture in order to promote the Gospel to others. But let’s never dismiss the work of the Holy Spirit in moments when we speak to others about Christ’s salvation and His work in our lives. If the fear of saying the wrong thing overtakes us, we could possibly neglect the most important work of the Gospel – telling those who are lost about God’s love.

Whether we are defending our faith or sharing God’s Word with someone far from Him, the Spirit within us will guide our words so that, as Mark recorded, “..it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.”

Always trust the Holy Spirit within you (and within the person you are speaking to) more than you trust yourself.  He will never let you down.