1 Thessalonians 5:¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit.

In the closing remarks of Paul’s first letter to the church in Thessalonica he says this. But what does it mean to “quench the Spirit”? It’s hard to know precisely what Paul was referring to, but simple experience tells us that the Spirit of God does things we don’t expect, pushes us out of our comfort zones, asks us to do things we’d rather not for the name of Jesus. At the same time the Spirit empowers us to follow through when we’d rather turn back or say no. I believe quenching the Spirit is what happens when we choose not to follow where the Spirit is leading out of a need to preserve our own preferences/desires/agenda.

This morning I’m asking the Lord where I may be quenching the Spirit.