DO NOT STIFLE THE HOLY SPIRIT

I Thess. 5:19 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.

To stifle is to hinder. Do not hinder the Holy Spirit in what He wants to do in your life and through it. He wants first and foremost to connect you on a deeper level to God. He wants to lead you into holiness of living. No one can hinder Him from getting it done but you.

The Spirit wants to lead you to a deeper understanding of the Scriptures. You will hinder Him when you don't open up the Word and meditate upon it. You must be still in His presence and listen to what He is saying to you as you read it. You must be willing to embrace it as He reveals it to you.

You hinder the Spirit when you put off until tomorrow what you can do for Christ today. You hinder the Spirit when you insist on carrying out your own agenda instead of the one He gives you. You hinder the Spirit when you keep your faith to yourself and don't let it influence how you live in the world. You hinder the Spirit when you wrestle with Him over control of your life. You hinder the Spirit when you don't take advantage of the workings of His power in you. You hinder the Spirit when you take for granted what Christ has done for you and live as if it was a thing of the past instead of the present. You hinder the Spirit when you waste your opportunities to be a witness for Christ. You hinder the Spirit when you treat prayer as an option instead of a necessity in your life.

When you stifle the Spirit, you are robbing God of his rightful place in your life. You are treating God with contempt. You are denying Him lordship over you. You are stifling your fellowhip with God. And, without fellowship, there is no fruitfulness. And without fruitfulness there is no joyfulness and thanksgiving. Without joyfulness and thanksgiving faith is dead.