19 Do not quench the Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:19

Whether you know it or not, our communities and our churches need the Holy Spirit of God to move in them. We need the Spirit to move in us.

One of the ways we quench the Spirit is with our sin. Sin quenches the Spirit, in the community, the church, and our lives.

I believe we quench the Spirit when we put down others, especially those called to do the ministry of God.

In the context of the previous verses, we quench the Spirit with our negative attitudes. Think about it. You’re praying, praising, and giving thanks and then someone pours cold water on that fire. Out goes the flames and the pilot light too. We’ve all seen it happen. I daresay we’ve all done it too.

Just be careful out there. Our words and attitudes do influence and affect others.