The Helper

Face it, being a Christian is impossible! Loving your enemies. Staying joyful when you're hated. Staying faithful in a world of distractions. Impossible!

Fr. Barnabas Powell

Feb 10, 2026

Emotionally, I’m done.

Mentally, I’m drained.

Spiritually, I feel dead.

Physically, I smile!

Ever been there? Yeah, me too.

So what drives us to wait till it’s almost too late to ask for help? Pride? Fear?

Probably both, and then some other realities, like not knowing ourselves well enough to recognize when we’re entering the danger zone in our lives.

Of course, part of the problem could be that we have unexamined expectations and goals.

To be sure, it’s important to set high goals, so we don’t tumble down into the pit of low expectations. But it is just as harmful to have unrealistic expectations and to let them crush us into despair.

So, how do we navigate this reality?

We look outside ourselves for our true purpose, and then we embrace the awesome truth that the Lord has sent us “One called alongside to help!”

Today’s Lesson: John 15:17-27; 16:1-2

The Lord said to his disciples: “This I command you, to love one another. If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. But all this they will do to you on my account, because they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. It is to fulfill the word that is written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’
But when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to me; and you also are witnesses, because you have been with me from the beginning. I have said all this to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues; indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.”

First, Jesus sets the goal: Love one another!

By the way, you have to understand that commandment defines and sets the standard for “love” by how God loves us. Until you reach that standard, you have work to do and repentance to embrace.

Also, God’s love can be mistaken for harshness IF we define “love” too small. Whom God loves, He also chastises.

Then Jesus tells His followers what kind of world He is commanding them to love one another in.

It is a world that will hate them because that world hated Jesus.

And this hatred will end up having many think you are the bad guy for following Jesus. And not only that, but they will mistreat you and punish you all the while thinking they are doing a good thing because you follow Jesus!

Oh, and don’t forget to abandon hating them back or feeling like life is unfair because you are mistreated.

Yep, all that has got to go as well.

Ouch. How am I supposed to ever hope to even get close to following my Lord’s command to “love one another?”

Glad you asked!

What Can We Take From This?

First, the world will hate you for following Christ, and you must love them anyway.

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

Notice, Jesus doesn’t say, “If the world hates you, fight back.” He doesn’t say, “If the world hates you, complain about how unfair it is.” He doesn’t say, “If the world hates you, hate them back.”

He says: know that it hated Me before it hated you. Because you are not of the world. Because I chose you out of the world.

And remember: the command is still “love one another.” Not “love one another unless they hate you.” Not “love one another except when it’s hard.” Love one another. In a world that hates you. Without hating them back. Without feeling like life is unfair.

This is an impossible standard. You can’t meet it on your own. You’ll be emotionally done, mentally drained, spiritually dead, while physically smiling, putting on a “brave” face.

Unless you have help. Which is exactly what Jesus provides.

Are you trying to love in a hostile world on your own strength? Are you hating back or complaining about unfairness? Or are you embracing the help Jesus sends and the help you need?

Next, the Holy Spirit is sent to help you obey Christ’s impossible command.

“But when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to me.”

Here’s the help!

Jesus has sent us He Who eternally proceeds from the Father: The Holy Spirit. The Paraclete. The One Called Alongside to Help!

And how will the Holy Spirit help you?

He will always remind you to forever focus on Jesus so that you will be His witness in the world. He will empower you like He empowered the disciples on the Day of Pentecost. He will help you pay attention in a world filled with distractions.

You see, Jesus DOES love us more than we ourselves know how to love.

So, if you have any hope of growing, maturing, getting strong, and becoming consistent in your love for others and Him, you need the power of attentiveness to keep your life focused on Him. The Holy Spirit strengthens you to keep proper attention!

Here comes the Holy Spirit to remind you of Jesus’ life, His words, His wisdom, His love, His actions, and His strength.

And that strength that took a corpse and resurrected that corpse from the dead on Pascha morning is the very strength available to you to accomplish everything the Lord has commanded!

That makes following Jesus in a chaotic world that hates Him and you possible.

No room for despair or giving up. He is here to help, at every moment, in every situation, all the time!

Are you accessing the help Jesus sent you? Are you inviting the Holy Spirit to empower you? Or are you trying to do this on your own?

Finally, the Holy Spirit is as close as the breath in your body, ready to pour strength into your weakness.

“I have said all this to you to keep you from falling away.”

Jesus tells you all this about the world’s hatred and the Holy Spirit’s help to keep you from falling away.

Not to discourage you. To prepare you.

And to assure you that you’re not alone.

The Holy Spirit is as close to you right now as the breath in your body. Ready to pour wisdom and love and strength into your weakness as much as you can bear and as much as you need.

Feeling weak? Believe it or not, that’s a good place to be IF you turn your life to Christ and ask for His help to endure with joy, knowing you are not alone.

You are not abandoned.

There is the Comforter holding all the wisdom and love of Christ, ready to empower you to love in a world that hates you, to witness to Christ even when it costs you everything, to stay focused on Jesus in a world of distractions.

Are you feeling weak, drained, done? Good. Now ask for help. The Holy Spirit is right there, as close as your breath, ready to strengthen you.

Hieromartyr Haralambos

Today, we commemorate St. Haralambos, a priest who was martyred in the second century at the advanced age of 113. According to tradition, he was arrested during the persecution under Emperor Septimius Severus and tortured brutally. They tore the flesh from his body with iron hooks. But through it all, the Holy Spirit sustained him.

St. Haralambos understood what Jesus teaches in today’s Gospel. The world hated him for following Christ. They persecuted him. They thought they were doing good by killing him. But he loved them anyway. He witnessed to Christ even under torture. He didn’t hate back. He didn’t complain about unfairness.

How? The Holy Spirit. The Counselor. The One Called Alongside to Help.

The Spirit reminded him constantly to focus on Jesus. The Spirit empowered him to endure torture with joy. The Spirit gave him the strength to love his persecutors even as they tore his flesh.

And when he was finally beheaded at 113 years old, he died witnessing to Christ. Because the Holy Spirit had kept him from falling away. The Spirit had poured strength into his weakness. The Spirit had made it possible to obey Christ’s impossible command to love in a world that hated him.

That’s Normal Orthodoxy. Not trying to love on your own strength in a hostile world. But accessing the Holy Spirit’s power to do what you cannot do yourself. Being sustained, empowered, and focused by the Comforter who is as close as your breath.

Your Response Today

Are you feeling weak? Emotionally done? Mentally drained? Spiritually dead?

Good. Now ask for help.

The Holy Spirit is here. Right now. As close as your breath. Ready to help.

He will remind you to focus on Jesus. He will empower you like He empowered the apostles. He will help you pay attention in a world of distractions. He will pour strength into your weakness as much as you can bear and as much as you need.

And that makes following Jesus in a chaotic world that hates Him possible.

That makes loving people who hate you possible.

That makes witnessing to Christ even when it costs you everything possible.

Not through your strength. Through the Holy Spirit’s strength. The same strength that raised Jesus from the dead. Available to you. Right now. As close as your breath.

So breathe. And ask for help. And let the Comforter do what He came to do: keep you Orthodox on Purpose even when you’re weak, drained, and done.

Being Orthodox on Purpose means accessing the Holy Spirit’s power to love in a hostile world instead of trying to obey Christ’s impossible command on your own strength!

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