Following Jesus means we’ll face suffering. But the Spirit promises to sustain us through it

We know the Holy Spirit is a source of love, joy and peace. But we should remember that same Spirit also helps us in our suffering, says Lucy Peppiatt

In the church circles I move in, we often think about the work of the Spirit in relation to the gifts of the Spirit spoken about in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11: wisdom, words of knowledge, faith, healing, miraculous power, prophecy, discernment, tongues and their interpretation. We also talk about the anointing of the Spirit for different ministries and tasks, such as Bezalel’s craftmanship (Exodus 31:1-5), or David’s anointing as king (1 Samuel 16:13). Then there’s the fruit of the Spirit described in Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control - attributes that we pray will grow in us as we become more like Christ. These are important and positive works of the Spirit in our lives.