Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19
Journal: How do you tend to quench the Spirit in your own heart and life? In your family? In your marriage? In your church? In your community?
Reflection:
They say every community of believers has one—a
fire department, that is. You know what
I’m talking about, that person, or group of people, that as soon as something
starts to catch fire within us or among us, here they come to douse those
flames as quickly as possible with their complaints, or criticisms, or
cynicism, or grumpiness, or even their own expert advice and opinions about
what should be happening. It’s
like clockwork. No sooner has something
good and beautiful begun to take shape and come to life within us or among us,
when someone rushes in to douse, or quench, what is going on. And if I’m completely honest I have to admit
that I have been guilty of being a part of that fire department on more than
one occasion. I’m not really sure what
it is, but for some reason when something beautiful is going on, and I’m not a
part of it, it makes me insecure and anxious.
Which leads me down that awful rabbit trail—or more accurately down into
the cesspool—of criticism and complaint.
It’s really sad.
I’ll bet Paul saw this
happen all the time, which is probably why God had him pen these very
words. For he knew that if we would
regularly do the first three things he wrote about—be joyful always, pray
continually, and give thanks in all circumstances—then, most likely the quenching
of the Spirit would never be an issue.
Because the fires of the Spirit are stoked (not quenched) by those three
life-giving things: joy, prayer, and gratitude.
O God, help us to pursue those three things (in you) each and every day.
Prayer
Closing
Prayer: O God, you are a consuming fire. May the fires of your holy love have their
way within us and among us, both this day and every day. Amen.
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