“Do not extinguish the Spirit.”

1 Thessalonians 5:19

For every true believer in the Lord, there are four nuggets that will change your disposition, perception, perspective, attitude and outlook in life. I take these from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19.

Firstly, vs 16 – “Rejoice evermore.”
Always rejoice. Always be joyful.
Happiness is not joy but rather a sign of a joyful heart. Happiness depends on “happenings.” Hence, when nothing exciting is happening, when there are no promotions or achievements, when life knocks you down and leaves you in the valley of despair, you may lose your happiness.

In contrast, joy is a state of being happy and content no matter what life throws at you. Joy is one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit and it is this joy from the Lord that becomes our strength in those dark and lonely days, when we are in the furnace of trials or the lion’s den. Furthermore, joy is not a denial of our testing circumstances but rather an acknowledgment of hope and faith in the Lord who will deliver us from the snarling tempests.

Secondly, verse 17 – “Pray without ceasing.”
Always pray. Always be prayerful.
Always talk and commit everything to God. Whether in the car or the shower or kneeling quietly in your room etc. Anywhere and everywhere, our God is Omnipresent, He is everywhere and can hear even the faintest whisper during a noisy football match. No wonder the psalmist mused in Psalms 139 that there is no where on earth he could ever hide from God.

Furthermore, prayer is the link, the indispensable middle man, the gel that holds everything together. Through prayer, we receive divine strength to be joyful, and be thankful even when circumstances attempt to steal our joy. Thankfully, God longs to fellowship with us through prayer because prayer is not just a request list, it is a relationship with the Triune God. Just as we would feel disappointed with our biological children if they NEVER spoke to us except when they need our help, God’s heart is saddened when we never speak with Him except to bring prayer lists. Conversely, every loving parent dotes on a child who constantly spends time with them, and so does our heavenly loving Father.

Thirdly, verse 18 – “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
Be thankful. Always give thanks.
A grateful heart never complains. We must learn to be thankful in good and bad times, all year round and in all seasons of life. A thankful heart and a grateful attitude always sees that that every cloud has a silver lining; there is always a bright side or a good lesson to be learnt through every dark cloud and rainy day.

A thankful heart does not exist in isolation. It usually flows from a prayerful heart that spends time with the Lord. The more we spend time with God, the more grateful we will always be. No wonder the psalmists urged us again and again through various passages to be thankful, to give thanks, to recall all the miracles God has done and give Him thanks.

Finally, verse 19 – “Do not extinguish the Spirit.”
Quench not. Stifle not.
Do not extinguish the Holy Spirit in you because without the Holy Spirit, we cannot be joyful, nor be prayerful nor be thankful. We must endeavour to continue to yield to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and not stifle His voice in us. We may try to brave it and be joyful or thankful for a season but we don’t have the power to sustain them in the long hard and winding season of challenges, trials and temptations. Our natural reaction may then be to buckle under pressure. Only the Holy Spirit, can keep us going for years in the strength He provides.

Joy. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit and only Him can give us the strength to be joyful at all times and in all circumstances.

Prayer. Praying in the Holy Spirit and through the Holy Spirit is the only way we can pray God’s will into our lives; “for we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” (Romans 8:26)

Gratitude. The Holy Spirit searches everything, even the deep things of God (1 Corinthians 2:10). And through His revelation as well as the express word of God, giving thanks is part of God’s will for us. Only the Holy Spirit can help us give God an acceptable heart of thankful worship.

In summary, the best advice I will share with you today is: Be joyful; be prayerful, be thankful, don’t quench the Holy Spirit.

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