How God’s Spirit Helps Us in the Messy, Everyday Stuff of Life and Faith

Gary L Ellis
May 30
4 min read

The Holy Spirit helps in everything good — yes, even that.

Let’s talk about the Holy Spirit. You know, that third member of the Trinity who sometimes feels like the “forgotten God” (as Francis Chan once put it) or that part of faith that some of us aren’t sure what to do with.

I mean, sure, we know about the Father and Jesus, but the Spirit? That can feel a little more… abstract.

But here’s the thing: According to 2 Peter 1:3, God has given us everything we need for life and godliness. Not some things. Not just the “spiritual” stuff. Not just the things that are obviously church-related.

Everything. And if we’re taking this seriously, that means the Holy Spirit isn’t just here to nudge us during prayer times or convict us when we’ve binge-watched too many true crime documentaries.

The Spirit is in all of it — the glorious, messy, confusing thing called life.

What Does “Everything” Really Mean?

So let’s break this down. When Peter says that God has provided everything for life and godliness, he’s not just talking about reading our Bibles, showing up to church, or making sure we don’t say bad words in traffic (though, let’s be honest, we could all use a little divine intervention there).

He means that whatever it is we’re facing — the joy, the grief, the uncertainty, the “What am I even doing with my life?” moments — the Spirit is in it.

This means that when we’re struggling to pay the bills, wrestling with doubt, trying to figure out what to do with our difficult relationships, or even just deciding whether it’s okay to order dessert (spoiler: yes), the Spirit is involved.

In other words, the Holy Spirit isn’t just a “religious” thing. The Spirit is in the practical, everyday stuff, the stuff that makes up real life.

The Spirit is in your decisions. Your questions. Your struggles. The Spirit is not waiting for you to be in a more “spiritual” headspace before showing up.

But How Do We Know the Spirit is Helping?

That’s the tricky part, right? Because the Spirit doesn’t always show up the way we expect. We want a booming voice, a divine sign, maybe something with flashing lights and a deep Morgan Freeman-esque narration. But more often than not, the Spirit’s help looks like:

A sudden wave of peace when we expected anxiety.
The right words coming out of our mouths when we had no idea what to say.
That little nudge to reach out to someone we’ve been avoiding.
A shift in our perspective that we didn’t see coming.
The ability to breathe through a tough situation when we thought we’d fall apart.

And honestly, sometimes the Spirit’s help is just the ability to keep going when we’d rather throw in the towel. (Or throw the towel at someone, depending on the day.)

Life AND Godliness

Notice that Peter says “life and godliness.” Because, let’s be honest, some of us have grown up in a faith that separates those two things — like “godliness” is the important stuff and “life” is just that thing we have to get through until we can finally focus on the real deal.

But nope. That’s not what Peter is saying. Life and godliness are not two separate categories. The Spirit isn’t just hanging out in our morning devotions or our small group discussions. The Spirit is also in

Our jobs, our parenting,
Our friendships,
Our stress,
Our celebrations,
Our heartbreaks.

This means that when you’re making dinner for your family, when you’re dealing with an unexpected crisis, when you’re trying to be patient with that co-worker who drives you up the wall — God is there.

You are not alone. And you don’t have to handle it on your own strength.

A Different Kind of Help

Here’s where things get interesting. When we think about the Spirit “helping,” we tend to assume that means fixing. Like, if God is really in this, then my problems should be solved, my anxiety should vanish, my relationships should be smooth sailing.

But, “helping” means “one who comes along side and adds assistance.

The Spirit’s help isn’t always about taking away the struggle. Sometimes it’s about changing us in the middle of it. It’s about giving us wisdom, resilience, a softened heart, or a different perspective.

The Spirit’s job isn’t to make life easy; it’s to make us more alive — more present, more connected, more aware of the God who is already at work in us and around us.

So What Do We Do?

If the Spirit is already helping us in everything, then our job isn’t to make the Spirit show up. Our job is to pay attention. To lean in. To trust that God is already present and working — even when we don’t see it.

So maybe today, instead of asking, God, will You help me?, we start asking, God, how are You already helping me?

Or, begin thanking Him that He’s there to help you in (this), too, whatever it is.

Because the Spirit is here. In all of it. Always.