The sun was glaring off the fresh new powder that had been dumped on the side of Pikes Peak the night before – and it was cold! We were trudging into the old abandoned ski jump about half way up Pikes Peak somewhere around 9,000 feet and breathing was not coming easily. This was going to be my first downhill run in the toboggan that was being pulled by my four high school buddies. As we emerged from the trees I could see the old ski jump sadly sticking its head out of the snow. The old woodwork was still there but most of the jump itself had returned to the mountain from which it had been carved so many years ago. Be that as it may the way down to the bottom of the old run was … still way down there. That was my first clue but I didn’t listen.
We sat down to rest before the run and it was duly noted that since it was my first time I was awarded the front seat so I could really enjoy the ride. But I was informed that it was also my responsibility to steer the toboggan. But that didn’t sound too hard as all I had to do was just yell out “lean right” – “lean left” and the shifting weight would change our direction. At the bottom was a rather flat area and a rise that would give us plenty of room to slow down. And there seemed to be plenty of room between the pine trees that bordered each side of the old run. That was my second clue but I didn’t listen.
Arranged in the front seat – the best seat – the guys lined up behind and started to count as they rocked the toboggan slowly back and forth. On the count of three we slowly began accelerating toward the bottom. This wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. However, rather quickly we began to pick up speed and the snow began blowing up in front of me and I could hardly see. It was like being in an Alaskan whiteout. That was my third clue but I didn’t listen.
1Thes 5:19 Quench not the Spirit.
Our lives as Christians are designed to be led by the Spirit. Jesus gave us His Spirit after He departed as a gift that is present and active within each believer. The Holy Spirit is often portrayed as fire and it is interesting that Paul used the word quench in this verse. To quench in this case is abennumi; to extinguish or go out. He used opposite term in giving direction to Timothy; I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up (kindle up or cause to burn) the gift of God (2Tim 1:6). Anything that cools or dampens The Spirit within us is rightfully referred to as quenching The Spirit. Look at some of the things we do that quench Him according to Barnes:
§ Neglect of cultivating the Christian graces
§ Neglecting prayer, the Bible or the sanctuary
§ Failing to maintain a careful watchfulness over the heart
§ Worldliness, vanity, levity, ambition, pride, the love of dress, or indulgence in an improper train of thought
We quench Him when we deny or resist His gifts or working in our lives. This is often done in ignorance of the manifestations of The Spirit and the operation of His gifts. We have all experienced those times when the Holy Spirit is moving in a service and, because of man’s schedule, we pour a bucket of water on the fire He has kindled. I have been in services where the Holy Spirit was moving mightily in worship but it 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 on His timing or for His word. We need to slow down and live more in the realm of the Holy Spirit. It is not only possible but it is the very Will of God that we live in the spirit 24 hours a day. This does not mean that we are on some weird spiritual high but rather we are so in tune with the Holy Spirit that we hear His every word. I have experienced those days and how different they are from the ones in which I chose to be in control. The difference is how we start our day and the attention we give to the fire that burns within us. Do we watch it and tend it throughout the day or do we throw a bucket of water on it before we go to work? Or, worse yet, do we fail to rekindle it from when we let it go out: yesterday or last week or last month or last year?
For a number of 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 served the den, dining room and kitchen. The bedroom and bathroom; well let’s just say they weren’t always warm and for a detailed review I am sure Diane might have more to say on the subject. In the wintertime we kept a bed of coals in that fireplace 24 hours a day. The first thing every morning we would stir up those coals and add new logs to heat up the house once again. The Spirit is just like that. He is a bed of hot coals just waiting to be stirred up in your fireplace in the morning. Put on a few logs of Praise, Prayer and the Word and get rid of the world’s chill. But just like we did in that little cabin, we need to add more logs throughout the day or the flames will burn down.
And one of the areas where we so often let that fire burn down, or even through water on it, concerns our love for others.
We have been given, through the Holy Spirit, agape love; the God kind of love. He is the only one that can reveal it to us and teach us how to walk in it and share it. The disciples never displayed agape even though that was the only kind of love Jesus displayed/gave to them. That was the love He displayed for the Father in front of the whole world; all the time.
The disciples didn’t know what it was until Jesus sent them the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. After that point in time they were filled with the Spirit of Love; agape love. We are no different; without the Holy Spirit we are not capable of exhibiting that kind of love either.
Like many husbands, I had been a failure in our early years, trying to be the husband I knew I wanted to be. The Spirit kept nudging me to change. It was like Paul said in his letter to the Romans: I was always doing what I didn’t want to do and not doing what I wanted to do (Rom 7:15-16). Every time I would make Diane and myself a promise that I was going to start putting her first in my life I just set myself up to fail. How many times have we done that in our lives and wondered why we continue to fail? The answer was that I made the promise to change in MY power. It just won’t work that way no matter how good our intentions are.
As the Lord began to deal with me in my failure to be the husband I wanted to be I slowly started to understand that:
Phil 4:13I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me
1Jhn 4:4Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world
Zech 4:6 it is not by might, not by power but by My Spirit says the Lord.
I slowly saw the light but it took a rather unorthodox move on God’s part to tie it all together.
One particular morning I was awakened just before 0500 and the cabin was dark and quiet. I heard a voice down inside me say, Listen to the words. I heard nothing! Again it said, Listen to the words. As I lay there in the dark thinking that the mountains were getting to me the radio came on … just a little louder than usual. As I listened I heard a song that I had heard many times, but like so many songs I only heard the music; not the words. Once again that voice said, Listen to the words.
The song, interestingly enough, was performed by a group called Foreigner; how appropriate. The title? I Want To Know What Love Is. As you read the words see if you don’t see God’s hand in writing them. I could only lie in bed with the tears flowing like never before, Jesus knew my heart. He knew what I was searching for and all the pressures that were holding me back. He knew my pain:
Gotta take a little time
A little time to think things over
I better read between the lines
In case I need it when I’m older
This mountain I must climb feels like a world upon my shoulders
Through the clouds I see love shine
It keeps me warm as life grows older
In my life there’s been heartache and pain
I don’t know if I can face it again
I can’t stop now, I’ve traveled so far
To change this lonely life
I’m gonna take a little time
A little time to look around me
I’ve got nowhere left to hide
It looks like love has finally found me
I want to know what love is
I want you to show me
I want to feel what love is
I know you can show me
He showed me that this song is very symbolic of the world and that the Body of Christ isn’t exempt; I wasn’t alone. By the time I had listened to this song several times I realized that my problems with being a loving husband were only symptomatic of a much deeper problem. I hadn’t been listening to the voice of The Spirit. Right then and there I made a decision. I would let the Holy Spirit change me because I was totally unable to do it myself. When I yielded to Him and began to listen for His voice my life began to change in a most dramatic way. I realized that I didn’t know the first thing about love and had no idea how to receive the love of God (agape) that was within me. It took a long time and a lot of tears to begin to understand the depth of the love that Jesus has for me. As I read His Word I found examples on every page in scriptures I had read many times before, yet never saw this way.
Only after I began to understand His love for me was I able to begin to share that love with Diane. I didn’t consciously change but she noticed that I was changing. I remember asking God at one point how would I know if I was loving Him and He gave me a surprising answer … Judge how you love me by how you are loving Diane; Judge your relationship with Me by your relationship with her.
From that point on I have never looked back and our relationship has blossomed. Have I made mistakes and messed up? You bet! I often listen to some other voice when His voice is trying to get my attention and give me direction. And His soft voice is always in opposition to the louder one.
The love of God is the most precious part of the life of a believer. He has shown me that it has to start with Him, and then your wife, family and others; in that exact order. So often we treat those outside better than we do our family and that isn’t the way God designed it. Remember, He told the disciples to start in Jerusalem before they went to the outermost parts of the world. We can never love our spouse, children, parents, friends, strangers or ourselves without loving Him first. But that isn’t going to happen if we don’t learn to listen for His voice.
Everything in our life starts with Jesus as the cornerstone. When the Holy Spirit is bringing about change in your life make sure that you keep your eyes on that cornerstone and your ears open for that still small voice. He is always faithful and His grace abounds when His children reach out from their heart, no matter where that heart is or has been. And when that voice comes up from inside … listen, don’t ignore it.
I saw through the blowing white tornado pouring in over the front of the toboggan that we were drifting left and standing between us and the bottom of the hill was a beautifully crafted Blue Spruce of very significant proportions. As the speed continued to increase and the distance to the pine tree rapidly began to decrease I remembered my instructions and with all the authoritative inflection I could muster as I leaned over I yelled … Lean Right!
The pine tree that had been dead ahead was … still dead ahead … Lean Right!
There was absolutely no deviation in our “flight path” and my vocalizations became far more commanding as I yelled with all my might … Lean Right!
You know how they always say that in the midst of an accident everything seems to slow down? Well, it all grew strangely quiet and I thought I heard voices; angel voices perhaps that were going to save us from impending doom. Then I heard them again; way off in the distance.
We’re Leaning! Then again … We’re Leaning!
Strange as it was the voices seemed to be coming from behind me and I turned to look. Maddeningly to my surprise the rest of the toboggan was empty and as I looked back up the hill expecting to see bodies scattered all over I couldn’t see anyone. And then the voices came once again … We’re Leaning!
And as my gaze lifted to the top of the incline, there were my four stalwart companions rolling in the snow with laughter, shouting We’re Leaning at the top of their lungs. One last look in the direction of the velocity vector and the decision was made … abandon ship! I rolled off at the last moment and all I remember was the toboggan hitting that pine tree with the sound of snapping tree limb, immediately after which it exploded into a million toothpicks. Suffice it to say that the explosion silenced the voices from above as they contemplated the cost of their little joke.
That still small voice is constantly giving us direction and warning us of our approaching missteps. But how frequently do we barge off down hill at full steam toward impending disaster? How many times have we failed to listen to that voice while tuning into those around us instead? In my case I have to admit – far too often.
Do you want to know what love is?
Tomorrow morning before you too quickly jump into the day, take few minutes and stir up the coals in your fireplace. Let the warmth of the new flames settle in before taking on the challenges of the day. And listen for that still small voice before you jump in the front seat of the day’s toboggan … leaning is much more effective when you are leaning on Him!