The advocate I want

When was the last time someone fought for you? Who do you know that defended your cause, ‘went into bat’, stated your case…?
Many pay for advocacy in the form of lawyers who work to give them the best possible representation.
Advocates usually plead on another’s behalf, or in other words, intercede for them.

There is something powerful about seeing someone fighting for you. We have an inbuilt desire to be protected… looked after.
We need to know we’re safe – that someone has our back. We become aware of how harsh the world is early on in life, and we question our ability to hold our own against the evil – or perceived evil – in the form of angry parents, harsh teachers, school bullies or preying adults. Some of us, without much belief in our own ability to advocate for ourselves, are flung into adulthood ill-equipped. We might run from the responsibility of defending others in our care, or, in our deep need, seek unhealthy ‘advocates’ who manipulate or abuse us.

But no advocates – even the healthy ones – are any match for the son of God.

Jesus Christ advocates for us in our relationship with the Father. He paid the ultimate price as a ‘go-between’ so we might be one with God, once and for all.

And in John 14:16-17, Jesus tells his disciples about another advocate – the Holy Spirit – who will comfort them when he returns to heaven…

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever — the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”

Then in verse 26:

“But I will send you the Advocate – the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me.”

Romans 8:26 also describes the Holy Spirit’s role as giving expression to our wordless prayers:

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”

When we rely only on human advocates, we rest on crumbling foundations. But when we seek advocates in the form of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we cannot fail. They go before us, fight for us, give us words when we don’t have them, and strength we never imagined was possible. Money can’t buy that kind of representation.