1 Thess 5:19 Do not quench the Spirit. ESV
Jesus gave His Spirit as a gift that is present and active within each believer, a gift that is designed to always lead us Him. The Spirit is often portrayed as fire and it’s interesting that Paul used the word “quench” in this verse. To quench in the Greek as used here is sbennumi, which means to extinguish or go out. Look how Paul, in contrast, gave direction to Timothy:
2 Tim 1:6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, ESV
Look at some of the things we do that quench Him according to Albert Barnes:
Neglect of cultivating the Christian graces, or of prayer, of the Bible, of the sanctuary, of a careful watchfulness over the heart, will do it. Worldliness, vanity, levity, ambition, pride, the love of dress, or indulgence in an improper train of thought, will do it.
We quench The Spirit we deny or resist His gifts working in our lives. This is often done in ignorance of the manifestations of The Spirit and the operation of His gifts. I have been in services where the Holy Spirit was moving mightily in worship but was cut short so that the “full schedule” could be accomplished. The fire went out and was never rekindled for the rest of the service. The same thing happens in our own lives when we refuse to wait for His timing or for His Word.
We need to slow down and live more in the spirit. It’s not only possible but it’s the very Will of God that we live in the spirit 24 hours a day. This doesn’t mean that we are on some weird spiritual high. It means that we are in tune with the Holy Spirit and we hear His quiet voice. I have experienced those days and how different they are from the ones in which I ignore Him and take control of things myself. The difference is how we start our day and the attention we give to the fire that burns within us.
For several years Diane and I lived in the mountains in a cabin that had no central heating. Our main source of heat was a huge fireplace that heated the den, dining room, and kitchen. The bedroom and bathroom; well let’s just say they were not always warm (Diane might have more to say on the subject reflecting on those cold winter nights). In the wintertime we kept a bed of coals in that fireplace 24 hours a day. The first thing every morning I would stir up those coals and add new logs to heat up the house once again.
Eph 5:18 … but be filled [be being filled continually] with the Spirit ESV
The Holy Spirit is just like that fireplace. He is a bed of hot coals just waiting to be stirred up in your fireplace every morning. But remember to bank up those coals before you go to bed. Then you can stir them up in the morning and put on a few logs of Praise, Prayer, and the Word to get rid of the world’s chill … and be being filled all day long so you don’t quench The Spirit.