Quench not...

"Quench not the Spirit..." I Thessalonians 5:19

Good morning, dear friends,

Photo:  stones pixabay

I shared a fun memory with a dear friend the other day, one that still brings a smile to my face.  It was a Thanksgiving several years ago, and my friend's family had planned a bonfire for the singles ministry they were involved in.  Well, to make a long story short, the planned bonfire never happened, and so they were the proud owners of a large pile of brush and dead branches, and no bonfire.  So, we decided to go ahead and burn the pile as a "family bonfire."

Cue the creepy music.

I guess the bonfire pile was bigger than we thought.  OK, a lot bigger.  As we were watching this huge fire burn in the middle of the field, we were wondering how long it would burn, and more importantly, how long it was going to take to put it out.

Our neighbors must have been wondering the same thing, because a little while later the fire department showed up, and ended our harvest revellings with a well-aimed blast of water and a stern warning from the firefighters on duty.

OK, it may not have been AS funny at the time, but it has become a funny "family" memory..."Do you remember the time..."

As I was remembering this story with a friend of mine, I was reminded of this verse in I Thessalonians 5:19:  "Quench not the Spirit..." I have a very vivid imagination, and since my first times of reading this Bible verse, I have imagined pretty much the same scene as the firemen who visited our bonfire.  What started as a "healthy fire" ended up a smoldering wasteland, no longer giving off fervent light and radiating heat.

So it is, when I allow sin to enter and reign in my life.  The Holy Spirit residing in me wants to take over, and fill my every action, thought and attitude with God's best for me.  He wants to guide me in a close fellowship with the Lord.  When I allow sinful thoughts and attitudes in my life, it "extinguishes" (the litteral meaning of "quench" in this verse), and my effectiveness for the Lord to work in and through me is put out, as well.

This verse helps me to remember to ask forgiveness for my sins, another key element that if I am not careful will lack in my prayer life.  It is easy to remember to pray and ask forgiveness for "big sins," like lying or anger or jealousy, that I overlook laziness, pride and procrastination.  I remember to be kind to my neighbor, but not always to my husband and children.

Ouch.  When I do these things, I am limiting the Holy Spirit's effectiveness in my life.  How can I expect to live a godly life, if I allow sin to take over my day-to-day living?  How can I expect to hear His voice, when I allow sin to shout out boldly and freely in my own life?

May God help me to remember to allow His light to stay unimpeded in my life, by confessing sin and staying far from temptation.

How much more effective and brighter will my light shine for Him.